Death's assistant and Fate's helping hand: Dragon Age
by ex-ellent
Summary: Master of Death. A concept associated with the ownership of all three deathly Hollows at the same time. Whoever invented that story deserved to be shot, repeatedly, just to make sure. Harry knew what the reason was behind them, how could he not? He had owned all three once upon a time. Now however it showed him worlds he never had dreamed about. At a bargain price of course.
1. Chapter 1

**Death's assistant and Fate's helping hand: Dragon Age**

**A/N: Simply put, the old version left much to be desired. It was simply too long and way too dry. I hope the new version is better…**

**05.05.2015 Updated to new version.**

**16.08.2015 Updated to newer version, again. Thanks to beta reader Kuromei Aibyouka**

**Setting the Stage**

**Or**

**What the fuck is going on in here?**

It was a quiet and relaxing Monday morning in the Potter home in the afterlife. At least until someone started cursing up a storm and throwing things around. Looking out the kitchen window, Daphne could see a stool flying into the distance, the sound of shattering glass nearly drowned out by the angry cursing coming from the room where the stool originally belonged.

Giving a small sigh, Daphne Queenie Potter put the now dry plates back into one of the many cupboards in her kitchen and made her way up to the second floor, intend on finding out what the problem was. Wondering what could have encouraged her Harry to make so much noise she first knocked at the now silent door and after a moment opened it. Peering inside the room Daphne instantly spotted her husband sitting on the floor in the middle of his study.

A very much wrecked study she discovered after a glance around the room. Sighing once again the young looking woman stepped fully into the room, gave her husband of many lives and much more years a displeased look and snapped her fingers. Even after so many years, for Daphne it was an odd sight when the room 'repaired' itself by her command. Meaning from on moment to the next it was like what happened before never happened in the first place.

"You know, I used so much energy to reduce everything in here to chaos and you just come in and undo my work," Harry said and pouted up from the ground he was still sitting on.

In lieu of an answer Daphne simply arched a fine brow at him, giving him 'the look'.

'The look' was a curious thing. Mostly used by females and most importantly by mothers and wives not only to admonish someone, mostly her husband, boyfriend or offspring, but it also was an undisguised command for an explanation before the wrath of God would be brought down on the offender.

Harry pouted a bit more for a moment, but soon capitulated before his wife's look. Grumbling a bit, he got up from the floor, walked over to his desk, picked up the letter resting there, and gave it to Daphne. Daphne accepted the letter, accompanied with a soft smile in acceptance of his admitted defeat, and started reading carefully. As she looked over the words, her expression changed into a frown that was becoming more and more pronounced as time went on.

"Let me get this straight," Daphne began, watching her husband's eyes carefully, "Albus fucking Dumbledore has the audacity to ask for forgiveness. Asking for forgiveness for not only sacrificing your parents, your godfather and godmother but also for ruining your life and in the end sacrificing yourself as well? And he tries to justify those… actions… by claiming it was for the greater good? Did I get that right?"

The look of utter disbelief on Daphne's face would have been hilarious, had the reason not been so annoying. Her gaze scanned the letter again, and realized this was actually what Dumbledore had said to Harry at his grave. That life had been one of the more unpleasant the two of them had lived until now. Reborn into a darker version of their world compared to their original world. A world where Dumbledore was more manipulative by a very huge margin, Severus Snape more calculative and ever watching out for his own advantage, Sirius Black more reckless, etc.

It had not been a fun life. But when the Aspect of Death gave an order, you follow it, with as few questions as possible. At least Harry didn't have to lead a revolution this time around. His being born was enough that that world would not have been scrapped. Mistakes and errors just happened from time to time.

Taking a calming breath Harry took back the letter and promptly incinerated it in his hands, "Yes, he has the audacity, you have that right. But, whatever, that specific life is over."

Placing a loving kiss on those kissable lips of his wife Harry left the room and made his way to the kitchen, smelling the delicious scent of Daphne's cooking coming his way. Giving Harry, or more accurate his firm ass a short lecherous look Daphne followed him down the house.

"Before I forget," she said and moved around the kitchen preparing their meal, "Our mom and dad are coming over tomorrow evening for dinner."

Harry's and Daphne's little spot in heaven was somewhat special. Because both of them, Harry starting after his first live and Daphne after some lives tagging along, where the Aspects troubleshooters and therefore would have many different parents and children. Because of this they were given a private spot in heaven which could be visited by all their loved ones. Normally, each universe had its own form of heaven for all those souls residing in them and crossing over to the heavens of other universes was normally not possible.

But because of their work and status, they were an exception. Therefore, it would sometimes get a little crowded in their own heaven when the loved ones of thirty-five different lives came to visit. Now he only needed to know which set of parents she meant. In not all they had the same parents, adopted or not notwithstanding. Hell that had only been in four out of the thirty-five lives thus far and most importantly in not all of them had they been human, or him even male.

"Okay… and which set of our parents is actual visiting?" he asked, a little puzzled.

As Daphne placed the plates with their meal on the table she gave him a somewhat melancholy smile.

"Mikoto and Fugaku Uchiha." she said with a sigh and sat down.

"So," came from Harry's direction with a now distinct and soft feminine voice. "I guess we will greet them like this, huh?"

Looking up from her plate, Daphne saw a beautiful young woman. Long raven black hair, slender but well-proportioned build with a beautiful face and soft cupid bow lips. A shame, really ,that Harry hadn't been reborn with his wonderful green eyes in his Uchiha Sumire incarnation. Between one eye blink and the next across from Harry sat the carbon copy of the form he had now. Uchiha Shirayuri had been Daphne's incartation once upon a time.

In that life they had been born as twins and lived a quite exciting - while dangerous - life. Interestingly enough the lifespan they'd had in that life had been ridiculously long; long enough to live for many thousands of years. Who would have thought that having a huge amount of potent chakra plus their magical cores would extend their lives that long? It had been a real shame that they only where able to pass on their chakra potential to their children and not their magic.

The first time Harry had been reborn as a girl he had been somewhat disturbed. In one of the lives before, Daphne had joked how Harry would freak out being a girl. In the end it wasn't like what they had expected. He had been born, raised and grew up as a girl after all, so he had enough time to grow into it. Had he been simply dropped from his male body into a female one, his soul and consciousness that is, that would have been disturbing, being born female was not as bad as he would have thought.

However, there had been a great difference between his male and female incarnations. While Daphne was in every incarnation female she also had more or less the same personality. Slightly cold and aloof on the outside while being very fun loving, needy with hugs and kisses and having a very healthy appetite in terms of sex. She could give as good as she got and could switch seamlessly between dominant and subservient.

Harry on the other hand, seemed to change in certain things depending on being male or female. Like his gender, certain traits in his personality changed as well. Male Harry was normally a very warm person, sometimes influenced by his temper and therefore prone to rash actions. While he liked and somewhat loved to learn he usually only got going because he had to. He was normally ready and willing to help people and usually quick to forgive; and much to Daphne's delight, very dominant in bed with a taste for sometimes adventurous lovemaking.

Female Harry, on the other hand, was more calculative and withdrawn. She just didn't see the point in trying to emphasize with people she didn't know or normally didn't care about. Generally, she loved amassing knowledge for whatever reason. With her somewhat shy and withdrawn attitude she generally tried to tell the world that her loved ones where enough and the rest could go and fuck themselves. And, again, much to Daphne's delight, she was, in matters of sex, very subservient.

"Only kaa-sama and tou-sama?" a clear question in Harry's female form's eyes.

"Uh-uh, Sasu-chan is still very put out with us. Not that I blame him, we were somewhat responsible for his death after all." Daphne's Shirayuri form said, looking rather sheepish.

"Yeah, it probably has nothing to do with the fact that you are usually blond and I normally run around in my Harry self here," came the replay in a perfect dry tone from Harry, who had changed back.

The last great family gathering had been somewhat strange. Not only had it been the biggest they ever had in their part of heaven but there had been family members who remembered them in other forms. Some expected to find them as Harry and Daphne, some as Sumire and Shirayuri and again some even as a pair of blue skinned aliens and many, many more. And let's don't forget the mother of his draconic incarnation Tiamat. Yeah, that had been fun.

However, things got really disturbing when Harry had been Harry and certain fathers and godfathers pulled him aside and asked about his female forms with way too lecherous smirks on their faces. Changing into his Sumire form and fleeing didn't help either because certain mothers and godmothers asked about his male forms with smirks that would give him nightmares. Going on a flight with his mother Tiamat had been the only option left. Dragons were at least above such things. Idiots.

Finished with their meal, Harry put everything away while Daphne returned to making some cookies. Just sitting in the kitchen and watching his wife bake was some of the many pleasant hobbies he had discovered over the years. This time however it didn't seem like he could have the pleasure of simply watching for the rest of the evening as a knock on the front door brought him back to reality. Daphne simply graced him with a loving smile as he grumbled and pouted but in the end still went to the door.

Opening the front door, Harry was greeted by the sight of two very familiar beings. The male being, looking like an elderly, black skinned man with short white hair, a full and nicely trimmed beard, wearing black priest robes was no other than the great Aspect Lord Death himself. The woman on his arm, looking like the perfect housewife, with long curly brown hair, a womanly body in its prime and a motherly loving look on her face was Lord Death's companion since the start of creation, the great Aspect Lady Life.

Giving his boss and his wife a perfect bow Harry gave both beings a questioning gaze "My Lord, my Lady. Would you like to come inside?"

The first to react was Lady Life, who left the arm of her husband to properly great the interesting mortal soul whom she had taken a liking to since the beginning of time.

"Harry my dear, how are you and Daphne these days?" she asked, gave him a kiss on both cheeks and a motherly hug.

"Hello Harry, how are you this fine day?" Lord Death asked in his deep voice and gave him a hug as well, thankfully without the kisses.

Leaving him at the door Lord Death followed his wife inside the house, who was already searching for Daphne. Shaking his head in amusement, Harry closed the door and followed as well. Back in the kitchen, after a new round of greetings and after everyone one was seated at the table with tea and cookies in front of them Harry asked again.

"It is not that we have anything against your visit but what can we do for you?" Harry asked.

While Daphne and Lady Life first looked at him, then at Lord Death and went back to talking with each other the Aspect of Death snapped his fingers and gave Harry a small folder which appeared in his hand.

"This," he said and pointed at the folder, "is your next job."


	2. Chapter 2

**Edit: 05.11.2014, it's still a work in progress after all.**

**A/N: Rating got up to M because it's needed, a T rated story in the DA universe is rather strange anyway, at least in my eyes. I'm sorry btw. As you can see nobody will be truly safe. SO there will be changes to certain parts in the DA story line. Some people will die and some not.**

**Shepard: Yes, the first chapter was rather dry, it went simply for to long.I'm thinking of maybe separating it and writing a short story about what happened to Harry, we will see. It's just there to explain a thing or two.**

**XXXthe GODgood: Yeah ... you could say that. That is if you consider Harry having magic is the same as having super powers. Btw. he had been a doctor once, at least in one of his lives ...**

**Without further stuff, introducing!**

**Chapter 2: The younger years**

**Or**

**Every story has a beginning.**

**9:08 Dragon, Denerim**

Standing in the kitchen and happily stirring a pot full of chicken soup was one small eight year old Harry, no surname. Contemplating his live in this world while the soup was simmering away Harry came to the conclusion that this life thus far was rather strange, even for someone like him. The reason why? First, Harry was a whoreson and a bastard, as far as his parentage was concerned, and second he was living in a brothel. It was definitely not something he ever thought would happen to him.

But beggars can't be choosers so he had to deal with it at least he had it better than most children like him. The brothels he lived and worked in you ask? It was aptly named 'The Pearl' and serviced primarily nobles and other individuals who had the coin. If there ever was a high class bordello it was this. The only real regret in this new live he had until now had been that his mother had died in childbirth. Sometimes he truly wondered if the Aspect of Death got his jollies by placing him with parents who would die before his second birthday or abandon him.

At least that was the case in 4 out of 5 rebirths, meaning in only one out of five lives he would truly get to know his parents. It was really depressing sometimes. But in this case and with nearly all of these lives where he had one or two parents dying shortly after his birth Death had probably picked someone who should have died way earlier and left her alone a while longer for another purpose, Harry. The great Aspect could get real sentimental from time to time, but back to his parental situation. According to Madam Melinda no one knew for sure who his father was but it was rumored it was one of two Arls and a Bann.

His mother had been well liked in the brothel not only by the customers but by her coworkers as well. Mary Green, another whore working at the brother, who was not only his foster mother but also the mother of his love and companion Daphne liked to entertain Harry and her Daughter with stories about her best Friend. According to Mary Amaryllis had been a tall and beautiful woman, with long silky, raven black hair, a heart shaped face, a glint of mischief in her big and ocean blue eyes and a happy smile on her lips.

Mary thought it was a shame Harry did inherit only a little from his mother, the shape of his eyes, the coloring of his hair and the tall build among them. She didn't begrudge him his emerald green eyes, they were actual one of those constants through all of his lives, she loved them. Just looking in his eyes and loosing herself in the beautiful color was one of her favorite past times, her daughters as well. Harry was brought out of his musings as the door from the kitchen to the bar room opened.

Standing in the door, clad in simple brown shoes, brown trousers and a grey shirt was Daphne Green, his foster sister and companion through all his lives. Her icy blue eyes searched his emerald green and gave him a beautiful smile while she put her long blond and silky hair in a simple ponytail.

"What are you making Harry?" Daphne asked as she sat herself onto a table next to the stove the stockpot was on.

"Just some chicken soup," Harry answered with a shrug of his shoulders "there were apparently so many chickens to sell Madam Melinda got her hands on quite few."

"Mhmmm, chicken soup." his friend said with a dreamy expression.

Even after fifteen lives and a really huge number of years Daphne never managed to cook as good as her soul mate. Of course she took every chance she got to taste his cooking which even the Aspects complimented him on it, so good was it.

"So, how as your day so far, found anything interesting?" Harry asked as he stirred the soup and put some more salt into it.

Coming back out of her dream world Daphne rewarded him with a beaming smile which never failed to make him feel loved and needed "I was with mother on the marked looking for this and that. Afterwards we went to a sewer to get some new blankets for the brothel, after that we went to a carpenter to order three new beds and after that we strolled back. Ah, and I finally found the library but it's useless.".

Harry blinked at the last comment and looked at Daphne and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Ah you know, no commoners are allowed in it, only members of the chantry, government, royalty or nobility. How are we supposed to learn more if we aren't allowed to do so." Daphne crossed her arms and pouted, stupid rules and stupid form of society.

If there was one thing that was the same in every world these two ended up was looking for information about said world they were in as soon as possible. Lucky for them the regular customers in The Pearl never seemed the never ending questions of the two children. Templars for example loved to talk about the chantry, chant of light and of the world in general. The nobles, at least those who didn't found the two irritating, talked mostly about politics, who was related to whom and the newest gossip in court. But it was simply only a small part they wanted to know about.

Harry scowled at that "So, we have to find a way to get in there one way or another."

Harry seriously wondered sometimes why seemingly nobody cared about Daphne's and his level of perception and understanding. Don't get him wrong, both didn't parade around they true intelligence or knowledge but you can't easily emulate the understanding of an eight year old child, no matter how gifted in acting you are. Daphne told him ones when a Templar had a discussion with Madam Melinda about the two scary intelligent children. The Madam simply contributed it to the Maker probably having some special plans with them. It seemed mollify the Templar somewhat. But who was Harry to correct heir believes.

"What do I hear about you two trying to get into something?" a voice asked from the door.

Looking in the direction of said voice a bright smile formed on Harry's lips and after thrusting the soup ladle into Daphne's hands he downright flew into the arms of his foster mother. Taking in the form of his mother and the warmth she readily shared with him as she hug Harry close to her the small boy smiled only brighter. Mary Green was a truly beautiful woman, in a womanly way, if that makes any sense. She had wide hips with a sinful behind which whispered promises of childbirth to the male part of her species, full and firm breast which invited men and women alike to play with them and an angelic shaped face with big eyes which welcomed many with a beautiful smile.

"How are you Harry? How was your day so far?" Mary asked her son in all but blood as she lovingly ruffled his hair and cupped his face.

Harry smiled brightly up to her, showing her his beautiful and innocent green eyes, or at least as innocent a child living and working in a brothel can be "Good. The day was okay and only got better with you two back, mom."

Sometimes Harry truly wondered how far the Aspect of Death really went to integrate him and Daphne into the worlds they were visiting. Independent of species and gender Harry for example had in every live emerald green eyes. It was like a trade mark. Should he be human like he was right now he generally looked like his first human form and should he be female in those cases he could be a fraternal twin, just obviously female, same with Daphne and her icy blue eyes and general form. Lucky for her Death didn't seem to change her gender or species when there was a chance to reincarnate her as herself, body wise that is.

Interesting enough this phenomenon didn't only affect them but their relatives like parents and others in those different worlds as well. Mary Green for example could easily be mistaken as a sister or even a twin of Anastasia Greengrass, Daphne's first mother. The tall woman had the same body shape, long and straight blond hair, icy blue eyes and aloof demur as the mother of Daphne Harry met so many lives ago. As weird as it was it gave those two some level consistency and a feeling of security, strange right?

As Harry enjoyed the hug of his mother Daphne stirred the soup and answered her question "We were talking about breaking into the library and raiding it for anything interesting."

The happy way Daphne said that betrayed the seriousness should they really do it. Harry just tried to look like as innocent as possible as Mary first looked at Daphne and then him, examining both. Harry's big, innocent and beautiful eyes were however too much for her and she started laughing. Her bell-like laughter was something beautiful to witness, an opinion many shared with the two children.

Calming down Mary wiped some tears away she had shed while laughing, her eyes still were full of mirth "Ah, okay. Make sure you are not caught and try to come back before bed time.".

Still slightly chuckling Mary first gave Harry than Daphne a kiss on their foreheads "So, I have now prepare myself for work later. See you at dinner in an hour.".

With that she turned and walked away, a happy tune on her lips. Harry scowled at that. He may live and work here, he understood what was their mother all doing to keep them well fed and clothed, it didn't mean he had to like it. However he couldn't help to notice Mary's seductively swaying hips which seemed to have an extra happy sway to it, Daphne of course noticed his staring. She seriously wondered sometimes what was wrong with him.

With a huff she went over to Harry, gave him the ladle back, closed the door and ushered him back to the soup. A lazy wave of her hand and a confundus ward was placed, everyone now hearing them talk would think they discussed the most boring and trivial topic there is. Harry of course recognized the use of that little bit of magic and glanced to the side. What he saw didn't fill him with confidence. Standing there with her arms crossed before her chest, her hip slightly moved to one side and pinning him with an ice cold look was a very unamused witch. Harry knew that demur which Daphne radiated very well. It was the same she had been nicknamed Ice Queen for once upon a time.

It measured you and told you how unimportant and far beneath your actual standing you thought you were you truly was, that you weren't even worth the dirt underneath her shoes. It was quite intimidating, Harry had to admit. Lucky for him he had already developed certain immunity to it, as much as that may help.

"So, are you thinking about bedding my mother now? Am I not good enough for you that you even think about going to women thirty years your senior?" came the rapid questions filled with disgust and disappointment.

Harry's eyes went wide at that, what the hell? He tried to defend himself and even stumbled through his words until he saw a slight twinkle in Daphne's eyes, then he stopped.

As Daphne dissolved in giggles and laughter Harry gave her his most possible deadpan look and dry answer "Seriously? We are only eight years old. Get your mind out of the gutter.".

Daphne only beamed brightly at him "Ah come on, it wouldn't be the first time you know. And as a woman myself, or rather a little girl right now apparently … but that doesn't matter … my mom really has one sexy ass and body."

Daphne smiled and shined even brighter at him "But you are right, we are only eight now. But no harm in making plans for the future ne?".

Harry new that most of the things she said were only in jest but sometimes he truly wondered about his love. But in one thing she truly was right, it wouldn't have been the first time with Harry bedding Daphne's mother, even if that had only happened once thus far. Word of advice, never ever agree to wait for your love in the home of her parents with only her sex deprived mother there. Especially when said mother has access to lust potions so strong to give even an eunuch the hots for a romp, whatever way possible. So be careful, it will save you a lot of headaches.

Harry simply ignored the topic of Daphne's mirth, it would be better that way.

"You know, sometimes I wonder if mother truly takes us seriously with those comments of hers." He said, idly stirring the pot.

"Ah, she does. She took me, last month I believe it was, to the side and had some strong words about our idea of slipping into the chantry and organize a large scale pillow fight in the private rooms section of those lay sisters." Daphne remembered while she poked Harry.

"Could you please stop that" Harry asked with a growing twitching in his eyes.

"What?" the young girls asked with a sweet and innocent voice accompanied with big innocent eyes … and poked him again.

"That! Stop poking me." Harry finally exclaimed and moved out of reach.

Daphne only pouted and looked to the side "Fine, take away all my fun, why don't you.".

"I would hardly say poking me is all your fun." came Harry's dry replied as he returned stirring.

"But it is the most fun. What else should I do?" Harry didn't need magic or any other special abilities to imagine the wide eyed innocent and happy look Daphne had on her face.

No, he was not looking, better this way so he wouldn't succumb to her wiley ways "Please, just … bother someone else.".

The feeling of dread only intensified as Daphne snuggled into his side and purred into his ear with a level of satisfaction it should be outlawed, the shiver of doom down his spine was nearly negligible "Oh, permission.".

With a wave of her hand the ward dissolved and Daphne virtually floated out of the room. Harry was still debating if he should pack his things and move to the other side of the country, as fast as possible, when an answer came to what Daphne was up to.

"HARRY!" came the scream of outrage and humiliation.

Harry looked heavenwards, or rather the ceiling and groused "Why me? Harry is a god boy, damn it!".

**2 years later, 9:10 Dragon**

"Rise and shine!" accompanied with a way to happy voice someone pulled their bed sheets away.

Looking out of the window Harry could only groan the sun had barely risen. Therefore, after some fast and very impressive calculations on Harrys part, meaning he simply guessed, Harry came to the conclusion it was somewhere around six in the morning. Way too early if you ask him and the body lying next to him seemed to agree as it tried to bury its face deeper into the pillow. The mean person behind the way to happy voice wouldn't have any of it however.

"Come on you two, the early bird catches the worm!" Mary said happily as she first kissed Daphne and then Harry good morning.

"Whoever thought of that saying should be burned, drowned, quartered and then crucified!" Daphne mumbled as she tried to rub the tiredness out of her eyes.

"I second that motion." Harry replied, already standing even if somewhat crooked.

Mary ignored their ramblings and looked her children up and down with disapproval and somewhat resignation in her eyes, the reason for that? Both children were stark naked. Don't get her wrong, because of her work she wasn't a prude, on the contrary, and on the other hand her morals weren't as the chantry preached should be. But even she had some believes in decorum and two naked children, soon to be grownups should not sleep naked in the same bed.

While Harry scampered of to refresh himself Daphne was busy making the bed under the judging gaze of her mother.

"Daphne, what did I tell you two about sleeping naked together? You shouldn't do that." Mary tried explaining some facts of live, as far as she was concerned.

"Yes, yes, you explained, we listened and formed our own opinion. Aside from that snuggling with Harry feels way better with skin contact." Daphne answered in a dismissively tone.

Mary sometimes truly wondered how developed these two really were. Don't get her wrong, she loved nothing more than her children but sometimes it was rather strange. For example this situation, all other coworkers of her who had children that age only told how they were either obedient or rebellious. Daphne and Harry on the other hand tended to calmly discuss matters with her and tell and explain to her what decisions and opinions they have formed. Not only did they say why but also how they came to a conclusion.

They talked and reasoned as good or even better as people ten years their senior. Rather creepy if you think about it. Mary truly wondered if all highly intelligent children were like this. At least she contributed their oddities in behavior to their intelligence and perception which was truly remarkable.

"Daphne, please darling, I just want you to help you. Certain behavior is not agreeable to a woman and makes her look like a scarlet woman or …" Mary tried to tell her girl but was interrupted by her Daughters sometimes way to sharp tongue.

"I don't think a whore should …" at that Daphne stopped herself as she saw the brief look of hurt on her mother's face which was fast replaced by a look of detachment that made Daphne wince inside, there was no love and warmth in those ice cold eyes.

Daphne knew the moment she opened her mouth that she would fuck up but couldn't stop herself. She was not a morning person and tended to be rather grumpy. Normally Harry would be there to stop her but he already left.

"Fuck …" she said as her face and more importantly heart filled with shame, what had she been thinking.

"I see, if that is how you see it, very well." with that Mary arouse from her bed and briskly walked out.

"Wha … no … wait, I'm sorry, I, I, … so sorry, please don't leave me …" before Mary even reached the door her daughter crashed into her back and started to sob uncontrollable.

"I'm s-s-so so-so-sorry, ple-please don't leave. I will be good, I swear, I didn't mean to … I-I-I …" Mary was rather surprised at the extreme reaction of her Daughter.

Even if it had hurt what her daughter had thrown into her face now it wasn't important. It made her however rather curious how hard Daphne reacted to her demur and walking out of the room. She knew that her girl didn't seem to like when parents didn't pay attention to their children or even abandon them but this reaction. What Mary didn't know was that Daphne valued her mother to an extreme. The reason was that even after living something around fifteen to twenty lives, Mary was only the second woman she would call with love mother and mean it.

All the other mother's she has had until now, excluding only one of them, either died before Daphne had a chance to truly get to know them or weren't real mother's at all, at least in her eyes. Her first mother for example was mainly interested in being the pretty lady at her husband's arm and that her daughter properly represents her pureblood heritage. No warm hugs, no shared secrets, no enticing discussions about boys, future husbands or whatever, nothing. Even the kisses and encouragements she received had been cold.

Mary simply was the best real mother, not foster mother, she ever had and the thought of her thinking less of her or abandoning her for speaking or acting out of turn terrified her. And it didn't matter one bit she lived so many lives or years already even if all the memories were thankfully muted, not as personal as memories of her current life.

As Harry returned completely dressed he was treated to a rather particular sight. Mary was sitting on her bed with her daughter sitting in her lap, whispering comforting words to the crying girl and rocking her gently back and forward.

"Shall I leave you two alone?" he asked and looked rather uncomfortable.

Before Mary could reply Daphne jumped out of her lap, grabed her own clothes and hurried out of the room, leaving a rather befuddled Harry and an unreadable Mary behind. It didn't take more than ten seconds however before she came back and locked as earnest as she could with all those tear streaks in her face at Harry.

"You are not allowed to let mom leave the room." And she left again.

"What the hell was that about?" asked a now really confused Harry.

Mary regarded him with an expressionless look before replying "An argument between Daphne and me which went really bad, please don't ask further.".

With that the room descended in a strange silence. Harry didn't like it, not one bit.

Thankfully Daphne returned quickly but as soon as she entered the room she shooed Harry out of it.

"Would you give us time alone please? Thank you." she asked, gave him a good long kiss on the lips and shoved him out of the door.

Now Harry was really confused. That kiss didn't feel like one of her spontaneous one's, rather like she was doing a statement. Aside from that she normally refrained doing something like kissing and touching, at least like lovers do, until both had had at the very least a wet dream. No use in rushing it and forcing it. Mary regarded her daughter with a new and intense gaze. The kiss was surprising but not something she hadn't seen coming, even if she had hoped it would wait another two or three years.

What followed was a long discussion of how sorry Daphne was for her inexcusable behavior and the reason why she answered so sharply. After some prompting on Mary's part she even explained why her reaction was so extreme at her mother's leaving, excluding the reborn and lived many lives part. Mary on her part was sorry for the comparison to a scarlet woman and that she should have sought out a conversation when her daughter would be truly awake and not grumpy. For the next four hours mother and daughter would talk about anything with each other, about Mary's hopes and dreams for her daughter and son's future and about Daphne's plans for her and Harry's future.

Even if they both didn't agree on everything, they at least found a new appreciation for each other. When Harry would look into the room, intend on remembering them to eat something he saw mother and daughter happily snuggled to one another and sleeping the time away, both with blissful smiles on their faces. Harry simply scratched his head, went to the kitchen and left their lunch on a chair next to the bed.

Apparently having now a day to himself, after being kicked out of their room Harry was unsure what to do. At least his mother didn't need to watch the time cause today was her day off. So, what to do? Shrugging his shoulders he left the Pearl and made his way to the docks, or more importantly an abandoned warehouse. Having it discovered at the age of eight Daphne and he agreed it would be the perfect place to train, to train not only their magic but bodies as well.

The warehouse was one big room, easily half the size of a football field, probably more. Harry ignored all the exercise stuff Daphne and him had put together and made his way to a circle full of runes. That circle was rather special as it didn't train them in any shape or form but let them record and control their progress in training. Only because they had the knowledge of stiles of fighting, magical or non-magical notwithstanding, or the knowledge to build a nuclear bomb, without preparing your body and train it or collecting and preparing the materials to build the bomb knowledge is useless.

The same is the case with every kind of knowledge which you want to use in some way you still had to train and prepare, be it raising your magical power to be able to throw around the real awesome spells, be it brewing potions to get back your familiarity in the art or even practicing inscribing runes so you don't mess up when it counts. Failures can easily kill you. After getting this month's read on his progress left Harry in high spirits.

Hi magical reserves develop nice as did his body. No use in overdoing it and making all you did useless because you damaged something by doing too much.

Thinking about what to do next Harry remembered he would need a wand for this next exercise. And because running around with a wand on his person could lead to problems Harry and Daphne had agreed to safely lock them away until they were older. A younger body in fact influences the mind and a young mind does sometimes stupid things, go figure.

So Harry concentrated on a very particular tattoo or symbol on the back of his left hand. Certain individuals would recognize it instantly for it was a triangle, encasing a circle and both being bisected by a straight line. Yes you guessed it right, the symbol of the Deathly Hollows. If you think now it was some kind of mark bestowed by Death you will be disappointed. Death had nothing to do with this one, more importantly Daphne had the same mark on her left hand as well.

It was Harry's second or third live he got the idea it would be cool to take some items from one world to another, like books and certain materials for example and after many years of testing and more testing he managed to link a storage space, similar to the one in a bottomless bag, to his magic. Death had said his magic was bound to his soul and therefor followed him everywhere so why not use that? The tattoo was just the physical representation of that storage space, simple as that.

What has been not so simple was to create a way to store items in it and most importantly take them out of it. Cutting his hand open just to get to his things didn't really appeal to him. The solution did sound easy but it was everything but. Now with everything working properly Harry only needed to think or mutter a command phrase, which was a spell and password at the same time. Through this his mind could browse the stored items as you would browse a register. When he found the item he was looking for, a thing of seconds even with millions of items, he only needed to think another command phrase and said item would either materialize in his hand or direct in front of him.

In this case he thought of his mithril wand with a blood core, his blood to be precise. A wand perfectly attuned with him with no inherent preferences, like his first mother's wand preference for charms for example. Today's exercise was rather simple, feel the flow of magic in your body with the help of the wand and direct it. Feel how it flows through your skin, bones, muscles and every cell. How the magic tries to wiggle out of your grasp and return to its state of equilibrium in your body, even if that was already disturbed by the wand. Try not only to press some of it out of your wand tip but also fingertips and other parts of the skin.

This was a rather taxing exercise but it was the best step before going over to wand less magic. Even if that form of magic would never be as precise as with a wand, it would be at the very least more powerful. Shortly before lunchtime Harry stopped and went back. After eating something and making sure he left something to eat next to his mother's bed he left again to resume his training. When Harry came finally back that evening he met his mother and Daphne still sitting on the bed and happily talking, three trays with dinner were on the table in the corner.

"Mom, how and where did you and my mother meet?" Harry asked after they had finished eating and were now snuggling together on Mary's bed.

"Mhmm … let me think. The first time I met your mother was in Amaranthine in 8:95 Blessed, five years before you two were born. I already worked in an upper class brothel over there when Madam Melinda one evening came into the workers dinner room with a new girl in tow, your mother. Amaryllis and I became fast friends and I was astounded at how fast and seemingly without concern she adopted to this way of live and work." Mary said as she pulled Harry closer to her chest.

"Why? I know I wouldn't ever want to work as a whore but if push came to shove I guess I could adapt." Daphne asked and tilted her head cutely to the side.

The older blond gave her daughter an understanding but sad smile "It is because just days prior Amaryllis had lost her family because of some stupid Orlesians. She had been the youngest daughter of some freeholders who lived with other freeholders in a homestead just between Amaranthine and Denerim. So an orlesian noble thought it would be easier to just kill all the people and take the land than talking to them and buying it. Don't forget it was still time of the orlesian occupation, even if their hold on Ferelden got weaker with each passing day."

"No one knows how she survived that massacre and because she was half delirious when she was found nobody took her seriously with the explanation she gave. After two years into our friendship she told me that she had heard a female voice, guiding her out of her home and through the woods. I am not sure if that really was what happened I only know that after that Amaryllis, who had been a rather shy person according to herself, seemed to find something worthwhile in living, ever the excited one with a happy smile on her lips."

At the part about the guiding voice Daphne and Harry exchanged looks. It seemed Lady Live did meddle again in her husband's affairs, with or without his consent they didn't know but probably with, not that he got much of a chance to protest.

"Amaryllis actual found this kind of work rather fulfilling …" that was met with two very disbelieving stares.

Who could blame them through their own experiences in this and other worlds whores and the like were normally one of the lowest of the low. Even high class prostitutes weren't seen as something worthy, as in their lives were rather cheap and easily replaceable. And not forgetting whore houses weren't really nice places. Both Daphne and Harry were easily able to sense the suffering, despair and other such negative emotions thanks to their magical abilities. Because of this both children were very grateful to be born in the Pearl and being raised by Mary. The Pearls was an unusual brothel as the negative emotions normally accompanying such a please were minimal.

And it certainly helped Mary was such a good and doting mother.

"Don't look at me like that," Mary replied with a laugh "I already told you two many times Amaryllis had been a very strange woman in some aspects. Where was I? Ah … yes. It was around late 8:98 Blessed when Amaryllis and me decided it would be nice to leave something of us behind in this live, to give someone our dreams and hopes for the future. So we spoke with Madam Melinda and got her approval to stop taking the anti-pregnancies potions and thus you two were conceived."

"Madam Melinda may tell otherwise but there was only one man who could be your father Harry, a shame I forgot his name. The noble man was actually brought here by his own father to be taught his husbandly duties before marrying his intended. Amaryllis found him adorable of course and for nearly a month that man was her only client. What was his name again? Bryan? Something like that …"

"Then, nine months later you two were born and poor Amaryllis died doing so, I still miss her so very much," Mary mumbled the last part and pulled both children in a hug "Lucky for you Amaryllis and I came to an understanding that if something happens to the other we would take the child in and raise it as our own. A decision I never regretted I might add."

"And how come you went from Amaranthine to Denerim?" Harry asked.

"Madam Melinda took over for her deceased cousin and left the brothel in Amaranthine to her younger Brother, she is planning to let her niece Sanga take over I believe. Anyway, I went along with you two because I asked and the Madam approved. I never really liked Amaranthine so I wanted to see how it would be to live here."

The blond woman looked out of the window and scowled at the dark night "Enough story time, shoo you two. Off to bed with you, it's late enough."

**4 years later, 9:14 Dragon**

It had been a taxing four years for the two children. Not only did their workload and responsibilities in the brothel expand Daphne and Harry also upped their training after their magic cores finally settled and stabilized. Both still could remember horror stories from one of their previous lives about children over using their magic at a young age. Permanently losing your magic, if you were lucky, was then one of your smaller problems.

One major step in Harry's eye had been that they were finally ready for sexual activities. Even Daphne had agreed that their physical relationship was as important as the emotional one. What made the situation even more noteworthy also rather embarrassing was that Mary insisted on guiding her precious children through the steps of bodily bliss.

Her reason "I have to make sure my nicely growing children don't overdo it and that my precious son doesn't hurt in a moment of enthusiasm my precious daughter, a tip from a professional here and there should help too".

Suffice to say both Daphne and Harry weren't able to luck their mother into the eyes without furiously blushing and turning into tomatoes for days afterwards. But it did somewhat warm their hearts at being able to get teased like this and still react as it should be, you would wonder what kind of tendencies and immunities you can develop after so many lives, to experience such normal things is really refreshing.

Some would probably say such amoral thing is disgusting but after so many lives and years some morals become naturally somewhat relaxed, others on the other became even stricter. Of course both made sure the help was given in the spirit it was intended, praise magic and legilimency for that, but let's not dwell on things.

Right now however both children were enjoying the first of a rare few days of. Not only was today the last day of Cloudreach but the next day would be the first of Bloomingtide and therefor Summerday, one of five national holidays, as far as you can have holiday in a world stuck in the middle ages that is. What was more interesting however, at least for children, merchants and thieves was the fact that the day after Summerday the quarterly Landsmeet would take place

As they watched from the wall they were sitting on in the warm midday sun both kids took special note of the comings and goings happening on the main market. Daphne took extra note of all the nobles, especially their behavior. It was simply too funny as some of the so called high class strut around light peacocks in mating season. And those atrocious colors they were wearing, it was hilarious. The growling coming from Daphne's stomach reminded them it was already past noon and both only had had some breakfast.

Daphne scowled down at her traitorous stomach "Meh, stupid stomach. I don't want to move Harry, why don't I stay here and you get me something to eat?".

The winning smile Harry was receiving got her a dry look and voice in return "Yes, send the poor boy out to get you something and complain later because he brought the wrong thing after you said 'Bring me just something to eat'. I know how that works and I'm not interested.".

"Puh … you are no fun anymore." Daphne countered with a pout and crossed her arms under her sizeable breasts.

Stealing a peck from her lips Harry jumped down on the road and looked up to her with a beaming smile, while stealing one or two glances up her skirt.

"Come now, I'm hungry too and in need of serious nourishment." Harry said and held his arms out to catch her from her fall.

Daphne sighed in exaggeration, mumbling something about troublesome boyfriends and refunds and so jumped down as well, in Harry's open arms. Turning around Harry took Daphne by her hand and led her through the crowd in search of a good food stall, there had been one near the gnawed Noble he believed.

As Harry led her along that and this stall and various merchants she watched her surroundings for everything interesting. There had somewhere been a merchant who sold dolls and the like here last year. Maybe he would be here this year as well? She remembered a cute blue doll, maybe she would buy it, if she found the merchant again that is.

Coming out of her musings Daphne remembered an important detail which could significantly delay their meal "Say Harry I don't remember you taking your coin pouch with you and I don't have mine with me so how will we …".

At that Harry showed her a coin pouch she didn't recognize and looked at him with a raised eyebrow "Did you buy a new o…".

Some distance away they had already passed a man started shouting "THIEF! Someone stole my coin pouch! You two imbecilic, what for do I pay you two?".

As the man Daphne heard screaming tore into his guards the young girl gave Harry who smiled innocently back at her a very dry look.

"Really now? What are you doing that for, we could get …" and again Daphne was interrupted by that man who now had a shouting match with another man.

"YOU! That is MY coin pouch. How dare you lowlife steel from me."

"Back off old man, I have no fucking idea what you are talking about. Also this pouch …"

By now the shouting match extended to two more people and attracted quite the attention of the crowd which was used to one or two cries of outrage a day because of theft.

Harry didn't say a thing for some moments and bought them some treats at a stall which sold delicious and warm pastries. Leading Daphne to a stack of crates they sat on top of them and watched the ensuring chaos which by now had five shouting victims and some seriously annoyed city guardsmen.

"Now talk." the blond girl commanded and enjoyed one of her pastries.

"Ah, how you wound me my love, right here you see?" said Harry theatrically and hold his hand above his heart.

The look he received as answer undoubtedly told him that Daphne might not believe him, even with a pinch of salt, the size of several metric tons.

"Yes, just spoil my fun, why don't you." he pouted but was fast pulled back to the ground with a second glance from Daphne.

'_Women are cheats, plain and simple'_ Harry thought and took a bite from his pastry better eat it before it gets cold.

"I did nothing much, I just played the traveling game," a questioning look prompted him to elaborate "by now the first to scream and rage should realize he has an unknown coin pouch as well which surprisingly belongs to the man which interjected himself the last in that lofty group.".

Now Harry looked somewhat puzzled at the coin pouch in his hands "I didn't intend to steal this one, I already had stolen one gold coin from each pouch thus far but at the end I had one extra. So either one of these men tends to carry around more than one or is not as honest as he makes other people believe to be.".

Shrugging his shoulders Harry returned to his treat and watched the shouting match. These guys really had a great pair of lungs and the guardsmen the patience of saints. Daphne was blissfully unaware of what happened on the marked and concentrated on her food, Harry really managed to find the right places. Sometimes later movements at the edge of his vision made him look to the side. He nearly jumped out of his skin.

Standing on a crate lower than his was a little girl, maybe six or seven years old which looked with big eyes at his last pastry. She had shoulder length straight blond hair, big green eyes and a cute face with some freckles. The Mabari puppy in her arms gave him a dog smile as the girl still stared at his food. Harry was sure he could see stars in those eyes, creepy. What was more creepy was that he completely missed the girls presence until now, something like that should not have happened, yet it did. From the quality, form and fabric of her clothes Harry guessed she was part of the higher nobility and what was even more strange was that he could nowhere see someone who could be responsible for the girl.

Harry resigned himself to his fate and hold the pastry out to the girl "Want something?"

The girl gave him the most innocent bright and winning smile he had seen in years and nodded happily. With a soft 'thank you' she carefully placed her puppy next to Harry, climbed onto the crate – under Harry's watchful gaze -, sat next to her puppy and happily munched on her treat.

"Who's the shrimp?" Daphne asked as she peered at Harry's other side.

Said shrimp, in mid bite and a mouth full of food just double eye smiled – how can you eye smile anyway – at Daphne and wink enthusiastically with her empty hand.

"I have no idea. From one moment to another she was just … there." answered a still somewhat disturbed boy.

"Elissa what are you doing there?" a slightly out of breath young boy said, standing in front of the crates and gave the girl a small glare.

The now named Elissa simply ignored him and munched happily on her treat. Delicious treats are simply more important than annoying older brothers, he should know that. While Daphne watched in curiosity Harry gave the new guy a dry look and eyed him up and down.

'_Another noble brat'_ Harry thought _'and from his behavior to the girl probably a close relative.'_

The boy had short dark brown hair and dark colored eyes, was probably something around eleven to thirteen years and wore like the girl expensive looking clothes fit for an upper class noble's child.

"She stole my sweet roll with use of underhanded tricks." Harry said in a bland voice and looked dryly at the other boy.

Elissa seemed to catch on what he meant and gave him the most heartfelt kicked puppy look with big and slightly watery eyes. The puppy next to her simply gave soft whines at him in support of his mistress.

"You see that? Just like that she manipulated me and relieved me of my sweet role." Harry exclaimed and pretended to cry.

The boy rubbed his nose bridge accompanied by a twitching near his right eye, Daphne giggled slightly at the scene and Elissa petted soothingly Harry's head to give him some comfort.

"Yeah, I know how that feels. You have my condolence." The boy said and eyed the two to him unknown children.

'_Probably asking himself where to sort us.'_ Harry mused at the look he received.

"But where are my manners my name is …" the unknown boy however didn't get any further as a concerned voice called his name.

"Fergus, there you are. Have you found your sister? Do you know … oh my." Accompanied by two armed guards a lady arrived with light brown hair secured in a bun, an earnest but friendly face and wearing a long high class dress.

Even if said lady had already a good amount of grey streaks in her hair Harry wouldn't think she was any older than forty to forty five. It seemed that a lot of the now ruling generation had grey in their hair that had probably something to do with them fighting for Fereldens independence. Harry didn't like where this was going, not one bit, for whatever reason he had a slight weariness in terms of nobility.

"Really, Elissa? We just wanted to visit your father and get something to eat, couldn't you have waited?" the woman ask her daughter which was still munching her treat, at least she was nearly finished now.

"It seems my dear sister encouraged this boy to part with his pastry, I was just about introducing myself when you came along." the look of innocent Elissa gave her mother was everything she needed to know.

"I see. Did you at least introduce yourself and thank them?" her mother asked further, which was answered with a rather subdued shake of her head.

"Ah, she did thank Harry for the treat." Daphne voiced her thoughts.

"At least something." the woman said and eyed the children with interest, especially Harrys green eyes.

"Then let me introduce ourselves, as it is only proper to do so." At that she gave Elissa a stern look, which the small girl tried do evade by hiding behind her puppy.

"The girl's name which ravenous hunger for sweets you have apparently sated for the moment is my youngest and second child Elissa Cousland. The boy you already met and whose introduction I apparently interrupted is my oldest and first born Fergus Cousland. Finally I am Teyrna Eleanor Cousland wife to my husband Teyrn Bryce Cousland. May I know your names? I thought I would know all children of nobles around Fergus age by now."

While Daphne found the situation funny and suppressed a snort Harry fought the coming of a major headache. Nobles in his experience are rarely something good. At least he could understand her confusion. As far as he understood the nobles in Ferelden where rather close knit and both him and Daphne did wear clothes fit for someone of lower noble standing. Daphne's amusement got a slight damper however when she saw a slight gleam in Harry's eyes.

"My name is Harry, no surname, whoreson and bastard raised in a brothel, the girl to my right is Daphne Green my foster sister." shortly before the whore part Harry covered the ears of Elissa.

Thoughtfully he looked at Daphne "You know, if I would also be an orlesian elven mage I would be the lowest of the low. Strange isn't it?"

Daphne swatted his head and prayed the Teyrna didn't feel offended. The two guards actual chocked at Harry's little speech while Fergus tried to get his blush under control.

"Ah, whatever," with that he jumped down from the crate, elegantly bowed before Elissa and Fergus and bowed low before the Teyrna "I wish you a most wonderful stay in Denerim.".

With that he left. Elissa looked rather befuddled, Fergus was slightly confused and Daphne gave resigned sigh. To Daphne's interest however the Teyrna didn't seem one bit offended. As far as she could tell at first she was confused, then amused and now her eyes sparkled with interest. That was Daphne's cue to leave. So she climbed down the crates as well, helped the girl and the puppy down too and gave all three of them a bow. With a goodbye on her lips she was ready to leave but Fergus already found his voice again.

"One thing I don't understand. If he has such a parentage how can he …" for the last part Fergus didn't found the right words.

"pay for such fine clothes?" Daphne helped out and Fergus nodded.

"Simple, he made them himself. Goodbye."

With that Daphne turned and hurried after Harry. She did catch up to him near a merchant with many dolls and other toys for children.

"Was that really necessary?" Daphne asked as she browsed the displayed items.

"No, not really," Harry shrugged and pulled her into a hug "I just didn't want to stay there"

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

"How interesting." Eleanor Cousland mused as she led her children back to the estate.

"What is interesting mother?" Fergus asked and looked up to her.

"Tell me Fergus, what did you find strange with those two children?" Eleanor asked and took the hand of her daughter into her own.

"Nothing really, aside from the boys answer at the end, why?" Fergus didn't understand what his mother meant, what was there to see?

Eleanor sighed slightly, Fergus had still a long way to go "What about Elissa? What did you find interesting about those two children.".

Elissa scowled cutely and thought very hard. Every time her mother had that tone in her voice there was something hidden in something she didn't see at first.

"They were really nice and gave me some pastry and they didn't try to shoo me away and … and didn't care … no, they were nice to me when I was sitting next to them and … they didn't seem to care about mother either …" Elissa rambled on Eleanor however smiled.

"Yes, good point." She said and patted her beaming with joy girl.

"Huh?" Fergus was confused.

"Think about it, those two children didn't react in any way to my title and our noble status, like they didn't care. How many children have you met who would do that?"

"I … uhm … none?"

"Exactly and furthermore what do you remember about their behavior, how they hold themselves?" Eleanor prodded.

Fergus thought back for a moment until his eyes went wide "They …They didn't act like commoners. Their whole demur is not something even the rich merchant's children in Highever have. And the bow of both and the low bow of him was perfect, graceful."

"Correct, not something you would find within someone raised in a brothel." his mother agreed.

"Mother, do you think he lied?"

"No, I don't think so. And even if I don't think they would care. On top of that I have a feeling the girls upbringing isn't any different from his." Eleanor said as she led her group through the main gate of the estate.

"Okay, but what now? Are you doing something about it?"

"Fergus, what should I do about what? I just remarked we had the opportunity to meet some interesting children today. It is no crime to behave well."

"Okay … but why bring it up?"

"Why do you think?"

"Mhmm .. So I learn to look for details?" Fergus guessed.

His mother regarded him with a searching look and smiled "Yes, this is one point, maybe you find more."

"What did I hear about interesting children?" came the voice of Bryce Cousland as he walked through a door into the entrance hall to meet his family.

"Later Bryce, we just met some very interesting children near the market.

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

Two days later, the second of Bllomingtide and first day of the Landsmeet, Mary Green was walking down an alley happily humming a tune. She had forgotten two three small things at the market this morning and hurried to get them before she stalls closed. She had been in luck.

'_What should I do with those two tomorrow? Maybe cook something for them? I know Daphne adores my steaw'_ she thought as she skipped along the road.

As a sudden pain exploded in the back of her head and her vision went dark the last thought and memory before her eyes was the one of a brightly smiling Daphne and Harry happy to see her.

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

The last twenty four hours had been a total mess for Daphne and Harry. The last time they had seen their mother was the day before, shortly before she went on one last trip to the nearest market. Nobody had seen her ever since. He and Daphne did search the way from The Pearl to the market she normally went nearly two dozen times. After that they search every way to every market. Nothing.

After twenty four hours of nonstop searching and asking passerby's if they had seen a woman of their mother's description Daphne finally collapsed into her bed, still sick with worry but too exhausted to do anything. Harry was just on his way back from the docks making a delivery for Madam Melinda he got curious seeing a small crowd near one of the ships. With sick feeling in his stomach and a growing feeling of dread the more he heard from the crowed he made his way to what they were talking about.

"Ah Harry, welcome back did … yo .." Madam Melinda's voice died mid-sentence as she took in what she saw of the boy.

The heavy bags under his eyes told her of a sleepless night, that she already knew, what she hadn't seen however, was the complete blank look on his face and those emotionless green eyes. If it weren't for the tears streaming down his face …

"Did you find her?" a nod.

"Is she … ?" a nod again.

"Do you know?" a shake this time.

With that Harry placed a package on the Madam's table and left the room, on his way to the private quarters.

The moment the door opened and Daphne saw Harry standing in the door way all hope died instantly she laid eyes on his face. Hugging her mother blanket close to her she stood up on shaky legs and stumbled towards Harry, still looking into his face searching for something, anything.

"Please no, Harry, please" it was only a desperate whisper but Harry could hear it well enough.

"No, nonononononon, NO!" she still searched in his eyes for something and more tears went down her face.

"She can't be gone Harry, please don't take that from me. I beg you, please. .. I-I-I … I have been good, I promise. She told me she … she would never leave me, please Harry. Don't … no … this … please Harry."

"I am sorry Daphne." Harry's word killed the rambling stream out of Daphne's mouth dead.

The blond girl leaned her face into his chest and sobbed uncontrollable. Harry simply hugged her against him and cried silently himself.

"What happened?" Daphne managed to disengage for her love and looked into his eyes, one pair of red shot eyes looking into another.

"Don't Daphne, don't do that to yourself." Harry replied.

"I .. I need to know, you have to tell me!"

"No Daphne, no." Harry tried.

"If you won't tell me I will find out another way." With that she slipped a mind probe into his head and watched his memory.

Harry was unfortunately to late in kicking her out before she saw what he had seen.

_Harry walked with growing dread through the crowd until he past the last person. There, in the middle of the crowed where two Templars, three city guardsmen and a chantry sister. The water soaked body lying on the cold cobble stone was all too familiar to Harry. It was like everything got absolute silence as the sister moved to the side and gave him a good view at the woman's face._

_Mary Green, his mother in all but blood._

_The torn clothes, the bruises and other marks told him a good story what had happened as his face went blank and insides ice cold._

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

The next two days went on like a dream. Both children did heir chores and everything else without complaining and even took some extra chores to just have something to do. During those two days all workers and even some patrons came to them to give their condolence. Harry accepted it with a grateful nod and small thank you. Daphne on the other hand just stared at the person wishing them well with an expressionless face and wide eyes until she was left alone again.

Harry was unsure what to do …

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

It was the sixth of Bloomingtide when Daphne was on her way to one of the bars in the area to deliver something. She didn't know what and didn't care as long she had something to do and got out of the brothel. She hated the brothel. She hated how Madam Melinda, the workers, the patrons looked at her. And most of she hated herself for worrying her Harry, seeing the pain in his eyes every time he looked at her. She just wanted to go everything back to normal, to have her mother back.

So now she stood here, inside the Red Baron and waiting for something she was supposed to bring back with her when a conversation got her attention.

"Ah, that blond whore had been the best in a while, I tell you." a patron told his friend who drunk his beer, both totally oblivious about the girl listening in.

"You should have seen her, a real beauty. Long blond hair, steel grey eyes and a rack plus ass to die for, we did the bitch all night long. And the best thing was how that pleaded and begged because she had two brats to take care of, fucking cunt, like I give a shit."

At that Daphne was solely focused on thug one as she dubbed him. The emotions in her were high enough that she didn't eye contact to slip a mind probe into his and went promptly through his memories of that blond woman.

Bingo.

"… how we did her again and again …"

"… that ass I tell you …"

"… the tits were a dream …"

"… Sam even …"

"… and in the end I …"

"Shut up already," thug two hissed at his companion "shut the fuck up or do you want to die? The city guard still hangs murderers and with you spouting that shit … what if someone listens in? What then?"

"Bah … get your act together man."

By that point Daphne was long gone.

When Daphne returned from her delivery with handful of useful information hurried up to her room humming a happy tune. She was still humming and smiling to herself when Harry returned and looked at her intensively. On her bed, summoned through her tattoo from her storage space was a set of dark tight leather armor plus some extras. Harry decided to simply watch and seen, the smile on her face however creeped him out, and that is saying something.

Armed and armored in complete black Daphne pulled the hood over her head to hide her hair, however, when she was just about to place a blank white porcelain mask before her face Harry stopped her and looked intensely into her eyes.

"Don't go with such rage and hatred in your heart," before Daphne could response Harry simply placed a finger on her lips "yes, I know. And because I know I have a right to say this. Yes, they will die, yes, they deserve nothing but pain and death and yes it is your right to deliver. But, don't go with rage, hatred and vengeance in your heart. It won't bring her back."

With his part said Harry leaned forward and gave Daphne a kiss which normally would make her head spin. This time however he put all his love for her in it and most of all, his wish for her to remain safe. The shy smile she gave him before leaving was the first honest smile he had seen in days. It made him smile too.

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

Thomas Blackfood had been in high spirits. After he and his friends had snatched that hot woman last week they thought about doing it again. One of the guys was sure he knew what girl she had been begging about and that also was supposed to be quite the looker. Now however he was in a pinch, tied to a chair in an empty and dark room can ruin someone's day. And that someone will seriously pay the moment he got free.

"Thomas Blackfood." the purr in the voice with which his name was said made him shiver, and not in the good way.

"Thomas Blackfood, let us play a game." The definitely female voice said.

"I ask a question and you will answer honestly" what the fuck was that woman thinking, "should you not answer or answer wrong you will feel pain.".

"After feeling pain I will ask again and should you not answer honestly you will feel pain again. Should you answer honestly we continue with the next question. Should you answer all questions honestly I will even let you leave this room. Questions?".

Thomas was furious who did this bitch think she was to fuck with him? Oh he would show her.

"Say, who do you think you are you stupid whore? You know you will pay for this don't you? So better release me and beg for mercy while you can." the man threatened and fully believed to be in a stronger position, despite being tide down.

He knew pain, nothing he couldn't tolerate.

The voice continued unimpressed "So you understand. Let me show you what I mean with pain.".

Pain was everything Thomas could feel and think of for the next two seconds. Pain so unbearable it was mindboggling and it only now truly hit home he was at someone's mercy. The word the voice had whispered before the pain started which still echoed through is mind?

"Crucio!"

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

When Daphne finally returned after her last patron she felt drained and relieved. She had to chuckle. The third of those eight even went with it and told after the pain demonstration only truths, so he was allowed to leave the room. Unfortunately he died by decapitation the moment he sat the second foot before the door, everyone else went insane and simply left where they lay.

Peeling herself out of her armor she climbed as naked as a newborn into Harry's bed. How she had missed that the last days. Making herself comfortable Harry spooned her and pulled her as close as he could against him.

"Finished?" he asked with a soothing whisper as he stroked her hair.

Daphne nodded.

"Good … now, let go." He told here, but she didn't want to.

Kissing her neck her neck Harry told her again "Let go.".

And she did. Daphne cried herself exhausted as Harry simply held her and whispered soothingly words into her ear. When she finally stopped a good two hours later she had fallen asleep.

'_Yeah, she will heal. She will not be as innocent as she was before, but she will heal.'_ Harry thought to himself and finally let himself go.

While he was crying, crying for his mother, for his love and for himself he was only barely aware that Daphne entangled their legs and pulled his arms closer to her chest. Yes, he will heal, tomorrow will be a new day.

With sleepy eyes and a slight smile on her face as Harry fell finally asleep, Daphne looked at the urn full of ashes standing on the chair next to the bed. The socket had a simple but nice inscription.

"_Mary Gree, beloved mother, treasured advisor and best friend, until we meet again at the end of our road."_

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

**Thanks reviwers: Shepard, Shadowsmage, Bill, karthik9, banesith777,XXXthe GODgood, Jeffs87**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Just for those grammar nazis of you who like throwing certain things into other peoples faces, like for example "Your grammer/spelling/whatever sucks, stop writing or whatever". This story, as in every chapter, is in a constant state of work. I know I suck sometimes with certain things, like forgetting a word or whatnot. So if you find an error I didn't correct already use your excess energy and tell me ... **

**Btw: In some parts this is gonna be somewhat dry again ... I'm sorry.**

****=====||=(°.°)=||=====****

****Vatsayayana69: Yes, both have probably a shit amount of talent and whatnot but why should they change something they have no problems with? Aside from that live in the middle ages is not really known for opportunities climbing the social ladder and they were around 10 to 14, problem.****

****ww1990ww: ****First chapter at the end it is explained I believe. So either scrap that reality or try something else. H&D=something else.********

********Kaioo: I don't know why you think what you think.********

********Dovahkiin1503: Maybe not right away but yes.********

************=====||=(°.°)=||=====************

********Chapter 3: Living a live********

********Or********

********Sometimes action takes awhile********

**Brecilian Passage, Green Farmstead, 12****th**** of Harvestmere in 9:22 Dragon**

Like those other two or three times before Daphne was of the opinion being a freeholder was a good life, or as good as it can be in a world stuck in the middle ages. But who was complaining. Ever since she and Harry had left Denerim shortly after her their mother's death they had been traveling from one place to another just to see the land and get a feeling for it. The two of them even had worked for a merchant for around two years before they again began travelling.

That stopped at least shortly after their nineteenth birthday or name day as it was called in these lands. At that point in time the duo had spent a good two weeks in Gwaren looking for a permanent place to set up a live for the foreseeable future. It was there on a Chantry's board they found the information for a place to call home. To be more accurate a Bann was looking for some aspiring freeholders for the outskirts of his Bannorn which interestingly included half of the Brecilian Passage.

To understand what actual is going on one must first understand the arrangement of land ownership in Ferelden. At the top of the ladder is the King and Queen or royal family. In theory all of Ferelden is owned by the crown, but because the crown cannot manage everything by themselves it delegates the ownership of huge parts of its lands to lesser nobles to take care of the land and use it in a manner that benefits them and therefor the crown.

One step underneath the crown on the ladder of nobility the Teyrns and their Teyrnirs. In modern day Ferelden there are only two Teyrnirs, Highever in the north and Gwaren in the south.

Original Teyrns arouse from Banns, a step on the ladder underneath them, and grew powerful enough to move other Banns to swear fealty to them. Before the unity of Ferelden by King Calenhad there used to be many more Teyrns but they were downsized as a consequence of his war for unity. Both Teyrnirs are ruled by Teyrn Bryce Cousland and Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir respectively. Just like the crown the Teyrns are not able to manage their lands in an efficient manner all alone and just like the crown divided most of it into smaller parts and gave them to lesser nobles to manage them.

Now two steps beneath the crown we have the Arls. At one point in time the Teyrns started to elevate a Bann and gave them an arling which essentially meant they were given command of a strategic fortress or city which the Teyrn cannot oversee directly himself, that makes of course the Arls more prestigious than Banns. Normally only Teyrns have Banns sworn into their service, however there are some exceptions to this rule, like with the arlings of Amaranthine and South Reach.

The next stop on the ladder we have the Banns which are the most numerous of the land owning noble class. Interesting to note is that not all Banns are sworn in service to an Arl or Teyrn, far from it. A prime example would be the Banns of the Bannorn. The Bannorn, note the capital 'b', is a collection of bannorns, the demesnes of Banns, in the middle of Ferelden, perfectly encased by the Imperial Highway to the north and south, the Calenhad Lake to the west and Denerim to the east.

These Banns only answer to the crown and they are as unpredictable as you can get in Ferelden. No sane royal would try to impose new laws, improve the country or declare knew taxes without at least half the Bannorn behind him. Because of its fertile plains the Bannorn is literally the breadbasket of Ferelden at large and even if the Banns are in constant struggle with each other, there even had been fought a war over one apple tree - sadly the tree didn't survive -, they closed ranks really quick against anything trying to challenge them.

The last step on the ladder of nobility is occupied by the knights. Knights are minor nobles usually sworn into service of another higher ranking noble. Like the other nobles they can also be landowners themselves but most are not.

Underneath all these nobles there are the freeholders, the direct owner of farms, mines and other such things. Most land in Ferelden is owned by these freeholders and these are the ones which produce everything the land at large needs. To become a freeholder there are two ways. The easiest way is to simple inherit the land from your parents and keep it going. As a second possibility is it to purchase a plot of land from a noble who has land which is for whatever reason not occupied.

The moment a freeholder has purchased a plot of land it rightly belongs to him or her and only goes back to the noble it original came from with the death of said freeholder and no one to inherit it. The freeholder system in Ferelden is in comparison of the serf system in other lands unique. Not only do the freeholders own their own lands but can swear fealty to any noble they want, normally to a noble who's fortress is the closest.

Of course this system does have its own problems. Because the freeholders are able to freely choose their own liege lord, even if the relationship between freeholder and noble is more of a business contract where protection is traded for goods or coins, the nobles are able to court freeholders and entice them away from their liege lords and into their own services. Through this practice there had been fought many wars and many blood feuds had been declared, especially in the Bannorn.

Of course there are freeholders who don't have a direct liege lord, but those are far and in between. These freeholders normally band together in smaller settlements which then as a whole is responsible for the lands they are managing and the taxes they have to pay. And this is one of the reasons the land is broken down into smaller more manageable parts, taxes. The royal tax collectors simply don't have the time to collect from every single freeholder, they normally only collect from the Teyrns, Banns and Arls without a noble above them and those few freeholder settlements without a noble above these.

Therefor the nobles who have other people beneath and sworn fealty to them are responsible not only for their safety but also for the collection of taxes which then they have to present to the royal tax collector, minus their own part of course, with their own taxes. What Daphne found most fascinating in Ferelden was that the society showed similarities to England from the early middle ages until the end of the early modern period in all important aspects, like the economy, political system, the taxation and many more.

For example the average peasant who worked on the fields of their noble lords or some freeholder were not serfs, unlike in middle age England. Meaning they were not part of the land and were therefor treated more human than you would expect in such an environment. Furthermore thanks to knowledge of their ancestors like the Avvars and therefor the Alamarri the people of Ferelden had a basic understanding of how to avoid plagues and that it is really stupid to contaminate ones water with their waste.

So it had been three years ago, five years after they had left Denerim that Daphne and Harry settled down on their own farmstead as freeholders. The price for the land had been very low, all things considered. The reason why was that the Brecilian Passage was regular plagued by bandits and the place they now lived was near the Dalish traveling routes. Harry and Daphne of course didn't really care about one or the other, six intention based wards were enough to keep them rudimentary safe. And those foolish enough in ignoring the compulsions not to go near would have the questionable pleasure of meeting a not amused Harry or Daphne.

The farmstead was in comparison to others rather big with a two stories tall main building at a twenty meter length, ten meter width and eight meters high, two barns, one to each side, of ten meters width and forty meters length and fifteen meters high completed the picture of buildings. Three hectare of farmland gave at least Harry enough space to experiment and use his energy for whatever he wished for. Aside from that farming with the help of magic is ridiculous easy or at least can be, however a simple schedule was in Daphne's experience as good as helping along with magic.

Where was Harry anyway? With a sigh Daphne placed a book about the Fade back into its shelf and left the room. As she went through the top part of the house she mused about some oddities and other such things she and Harry had picked up over their lives. For one there was their habit in building their home the exact same way, at least when they had the space that is. It gave a good feeling of security and familiarity, no questions. One other thing was Harry's insistence of having much space. Normally you would think a two story tall farm house, styled somewhat after ranch houses found in America, would be enough for two persons and all their stuff.

On top of that the two big barns should give enough space as well. Amusingly one of the barns was already quite full as was the house, meaning no unused rooms and obvious empty spaces. If she remembered correctly the one barn was filled with huge amounts of wood in form of ten meter long logs and many sacks of wheat. And don't forget all the other stuff like ingredients, tools and even a big wagon. Shrugging her shoulders Daphne left the House and went to the barn to her left.

Opening a side door the young woman looked inside and called "Harry?", no answer.

Looking around Daphne noticed the emptiness of the two horse boxes maybe he needed them for something?

Scratching her head she closed the door and went to the other barn. Taking a quick look at the sky Daphne guessed it was somewhere around 3 to 4 pm and in a good four hours it would be dark. Shaking her head she wished it would be summer, not because of the warmth but because of the sunlight. It was so much more convenient to have sunlight from early in the morning until late in the evening.

Opening the other barn Daphne stepped inside looking for a clue of her husband. Normally they told each other what was to do and who would do it but today she had no idea if there was anything to do, at least she didn't remember Harry saying anything that morning. It was the beginning of the winter by the maker. The crop had been harvested, processed and packed into sacks, the fields had been already prepared for the next season, at least two of the three, the tools had been sharpened and repaired and the wood …

Looking about Daphne noticed the lack of their wagon and a good amount of wooden logs. Some six years ago Harry had found a sort of wood in the Brecilian Forest he had never seen. So long it was still a tree the wood was as flexible as your average hardwood and weighted as much. However if you cut it down and stored it for a year the logs would become as hard as iron without losing flexibility or gaining weight. Ever eager to learn something new Harry build the House and every other building with that wood and later started to experiment with it.

Having collected some seeds from these trees he had planted them at the edge of the fields, poured some special potions on them and grew them with his magic. So within three days they had several dozen of fully grown trees and these were in form of ten meter long logs neatly stacked on one end of the barn, all one hundred and twelve. On the other side there were the sacks of wheat, several thousands of them, clearly separated in two stacks. One stack, the obvious bigger one was their own, accumulated over the years of producing more than the needed - the amount their farmland produced compared to others was ridiculous high -, and before that was a smaller stack destined for the coming tax collector.

All in all the this barn was primary used to store wood, wheat, tools, farming equipment and other things you will need on a farm. Thanks to the missing logs and wagon Daphne finally remembered Harry was to turn a good chunk of wood into charcoal. Closing the door and looking around she stopped as she saw some white smoke coming from behind the main house. Shrugging her shoulders she made her way to the cause of that white smoke.

From early in the morning until now Harry had been working on three charcoal piles made out of fifty tons of that strange hard wood, each pile that is. He already had turned smaller parts into charcoal just to see if it was any different from the one made out of familiar hard wood. Oh boy was there an extreme difference. Not only was the reduction of volume rather low, to round about ninety percent, but also the reduction of weight was less than it was with other woods, only to around sixty percent.

For comparison, normal hard wood turned into charcoal without industrial means is reduced to fifty percent of volume and maybe a quarter of weight compared to the wood it had been before. The difference in the amount it yielded after being processed was already very interesting and worthwhile but the kicker was simple the yield in energy generated by that charcoal. Compared to charcoal from other forms of hard wood the charcoal from that to Harry unknown hard wood not only burned more than thirty times longer but also six times hotter.

Therefor this charcoal was perfect for heating and to work a smithy complete with smelter and such. As he was happily tearing down the second charcoal pile and separating it into piles of charcoal and piles of charcoal dust Harry heard the steps of his wife coming from the house. Wondering what his dear wife wants Harry placed the shovel in his hands against the wagon and took a break.

"Harry, why don't you use magic for this kind of work?" wondered Daphne as she stood next to her husband and gazed at his handy work.

"Because it would be boring, I already used magic to control the process within the charcoal piles." Harry said with a shrug.

Why should he do everything with magic? It wasn't like Daphne herself was using magic for everything, far from it, but she was using magic for nearly anything that would take too long with normal means. And turning wood into charcoal was firmly in that category.

"What are you doing out here anyway? Not that I'm not grateful having my beautiful wife in my presence but I remember you telling me it was too cold for you to come outside." Harry said and looked meaningful at her thick clothes.

He himself was only wearing his thick leather boots, simple woolen trousers and a woolen shirt. It did not have the best protection against the cold in this freezing temperature but the warming charms and physical activity helped well enough.

"Maybe I had just a strong longing for my husband?" Daphne answered and blinked with huge innocent eyes at him.

"Yes … sure." Came the dry reply "Don't call me ungrateful but somehow I don't believe you.".

Daphne pouted at him "You are no fun. Fine, I was bored … and I wasn't sure where you were and what you were doing so I came looking."

"If you are bored you could either help me … without magic that is! Or you could visit little Neriah." Harry said and reached for the shovel again.

It wasn't like his wife was lazy in terms of physical work, she definitely was not, however she liked working in the sun and warmth so much more than working in the cold. The cold made her depressed, it literally sucked not only her happy mood out but also her tolerance for stupidity, so it was for Harry not very surprising what she chose to do. In the span of maybe two seconds her form started to shine and shrink until it took the form of one of her spirit animals. With some powerful flaps of her wings the majestic bird took flight and with a flash of light it disappeared.

"Now … how should I take it that my wife jumps at the prospect of spending her time with a little elf girl instead of helping me?"

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

Without being noticed by anyone in a flash of light Daphne appeared at the top of a tower which sat lonely on an island at the top of the Calenhad Lake. With a simple tip of her finger against the door Daphne unlocked one of the only two doors leading into the Ferelden Circle of Magic and entered without anyone being the wiser. She and Harry had been at the Circle many times before, every time carefully hidden by spells which prompted everyone to simply ignore them.

Going along a small corridor and down some stairs her way ended at jet another door. A simple spell told her that the room beyond, called the Harrowing Chamber, was empty. So making her way from the maintenance corridor to the door leaving to the level below she repeated the spell from before, this time however it clearly showed a single Templar standing guard before the door on the other side.

A silencing spell at the door helped opening without being detected and a simple confundus in the back of the guard standing Templar made extra sure the Templar would ignore the door for the moment. Leaving the area Daphne made her way to the library, she even caught snippets of interesting conversations along the way.

"Are you absolute sure about this information Uldred?"

"Yes Irving, there are no questions about these boys dabbling in blood magic."

"To create and manipulate fire you have you not only have to have a tight grip on your magic but also on your emotions, can you tell me why?"

"Because fire reacts to my emotions?"

"Is that an answer or a question?"

"Did you hear, Anders escaped, again."

"Really? What would that make his third successful attempt? How did he do it this time anyway?"

"Successful? He is successful if he stays free as well. I bet we will see him again in about two weeks. This time he actual jumped into the lake and swam away and thanks to that all outside activities for apprentice's are canceled for the foreseeable future. Finn is actual the only one happy about it, that stupid prick."

"Daylen you have to help me, I have no idea what to with that. I'm useless, damned!"

"Good Maker, what is it this time Jowan?"

"So, what do you think about that sexy hot new enchanter? What was her name again?"

"Her name is Leorah and by the Maker shut up. Simply do your guard duty, idiot."

"Asshole."

Arriving at the library Daphne plucked some tomes about the school of creation from the shelves and settled into a seat in the corner. Not seeing her little elf friend Daphne started to read and compare what they taught about healing here to what she knew about healing spells herself.

"Daphne!" came a good hour later the excited voice of Neriah.

Said blond woman looked up from her tome and smiled down on to the little elf girl who was about to bounce around.

"Hello Neriah, how are you this day?" Daphne asked and petted gently the wide grinning elf's head.

"Oh, I'm good. How are you? Where have you been? What did you do? Why did you stay away for so long? When …" came the rapid questions, including anything the girl could think of.

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

It had been two years ago when Daphne and Harry had first visited the tower to get information on magic in this world. While Harry was busily reading what he could find in one of the senior enchanters private library Daphne choose to come down to this library and like now she sat herself onto a chair in the corner. Little Neriah had been just eight years old and was about to catch some books to learn about the primal school when she noticed a young woman sitting in the corner and nobody taking note of her.

Her curiosity awakened Neriah looked closer at the woman she had never seen in the tower before. She was tall, long blond hair and expressive steel gray eyes. The little elf just stood there for about twenty minutes staring at the woman when said woman stood up, placed her reading material back into a shelf and went for the door leading upstairs. As the woman passed Neriah she gave her a pet on her head and moved along. Neriah stood confused for a moment before she placed a hand or her head, where the woman had petted her, looked at her hand, placed it back on her head, looked at it again and blushed. Never ever had a pet on her head felt so good, not even when the First Enchanter did it.

It had been such a warm feeling that Neriah wondered if she would meet the woman again and if she would pet her head again. She actual blushed even more at that thought. For the next five times when Neriah was aware the beautiful young woman was in her corner again she would stand just some five meters to the side and watch her. Every now and then she would puzzle why all those templars and enchanters would ignore the woman and depending how near she stood by her even herself.

It was when she had a lesson about spirits and demons from the fade that she asked the teaching enchanter about other special beings. After some prodding and dodging she finally confessed that she saw sometimes a woman reading in the library nobody but her seemed to recognize or even acknowledge her presence in any way. What followed was unlike she had ever seen. A beemaster would probably compare the reaction that followed with a disturbed hornets' nest.

Templars started to turn the whole tower upside down, searching for an unknown blond woman. Neriah was even called before the First Enchanter Irving, his most trusted senior enchanter Uldred and Knight-Commander Greagoir. Those three questioned the little girl for hours on end to the point of exhaustion on the side of said girl. Neriah didn't know who but she had heard someone say something about blood magic and demons as the three had one of their hushed conversations with her still in the room.

That was the point she became terrified. In the end they let her go but she was strongly encouraged to report the moment she saw the woman again. Nariah inspecting her shoes mutely and nodded in understanding. Six days later the elf girl saw the woman again, sitting in the corner and reading a book about something. Neriah promptly turned and ran to the First Enchanter, literally crashing not only throw his door but also crashing his meeting with the Knight-Commander.

No five minutes later the First Enchanter, the Knight-Commander, six Templars, three senior enchanters and little Neriah were standing between two bookshelves and a corner with a chair and small table they were encasing.

"So, I see nothing. Does that woman still sit on the chair?" the Knight-Commander said with clear skepticism in his voice and eyes.

Neriah mutely nodded and pointed at the chair "Yes, she is sitting there and actual studying you Knight-Commander." the little elf said with a subdued voice.

"How interesting, I also cannot see anything what shouldn't be here, Greagoir?" Irving said and looked at the Knight-Commander.

"It looks like there is no other way. Apprentice, move half the distance between here and the chair … yes. And now move to the side … that's enough." Greagoir said and looked at three of his men. "Do it."

As one two Templars took a small step forward, leaned their upper bodies slightly back, spread their arms apart and looked up to the ceiling. Not even a second later Neriah heard the telling sound of two holy smites, one crashing into her and another crashing into the chair.

As Neriah collapsed onto the ground in pain she noticed at the edge of her blurry vision that the woman was still sitting in the chair like nothing happened and watched the little elf girl in concern. Now that she was lying on the ground the third Templar stepped forward, unrolled a tome and started chanting. After he completed the five words he had to say a wave of magic was expelled by the tome and washed not only through the room but also most of the lower levels of the tower.

Irving and Greagoir were following everything what happened with a keen eye. From how Neariah reacted to how the chair was being destroyed nothing happened without them noticing. And with somewhat reluctance and relieve nothing further happened after the Litany of Adralla did her thing.

"Didn't I say it was probably just the tricks of a very imaginative mind?" Irving mildly asked as he studied the conclusion of their little experiment.

Greagoir just grunted in return "Fine, whatever. I have better things to do than standing around and being led on a wild goose chase by the imaginary friend of some uppity apprentice."

With that the Knight-Commander turned around and left, taking his templars with him. Uldred left with an unreadable look on his face as well, not even acknowledging what had happened here.

Irving shook at the reactions of his associates his head and helped Neriah back on her feat "I have to apologize for your rather ruff treatment Neriah. But there had been voiced some concerns and we had to absolute make sure. How are you feeling?"

Neriah looked up to the First Enchanter and rubbed her head, "'m headache."

A small rejuvenation spell from Irving solved the problem "There that should help you. I advise you to go to bed and take the rest of the day off I will talk for you to your teachers."

Neriah nodded dutiful and looked at the chair.

"Say, do you still see that young woman?" Irving asked chattily and looked at the young girl with a twinkle in his eyes.

Neriah just nodded.

"How remarkable an innocent and imaginary a young mind can be," and with that the First Enchanter left.

"What in the Maker's name were you thinking?" asked the unknown woman.

"That is a question I would like to know as well," said a young man with messy black hair and green eyes standing behind Neriah and looked first at the blond woman and then at the little girl.

Neriah said the first thing which came to her mind, "What the heck?"

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

Since then the little elf girl had two personal and very good friends she didn't need to share with anybody. After some introducing and answering some questions with simple explanations Neriah learned that Daphne and Harry were mages using a form of magic completely different to her own. According to Daphne and what she had gleamed so far from the books normally a magic user could wield the power of magic because their soul had that special connection to the fade.

Through this connection mages not only were aware when they dream but also gave way to the magical energy which traveled from the fade to the mages so they could use it. That was the reason why it took a) so long to naturally fill the mages reservoir again and b) why after a good night's rest they were refilled again. Lyrium Potions on the other hand worked like a crowbar. The lyrium forcefully opened the connection to the fade to the maximum for a certain duration, depending on the potency of the potion, before the soul clammed it down again to its normal little stream.

Daphne and Harry on the other hand didn't have this connection to the fade but had their magic cores which were tied to their souls. Not only produced their souls magical energy on its own but the core also filled itself with the ambient magical energy nature itself gave of. This difference showed primary in the way their magic worked. Magic used by these mages was like swinging a huge battleaxe as it was simply more potent than Daphne's and Harry's, however the mages never had learned to use it really efficiently, they never learned to efficiently control it.

Even healing was more about flooding the whole body with healing magic than concentrate it were it was supposed to go. Only high level healers showed some form of actual ability to direct said energy in any form with any moderation. The potency in that kind of magical energy at least explained why it was so reactive and why battles between mages tended to be rather explosive and volatile. Harry's and Daphne's own magic was in comparison like a scalpel to these mages battleaxe simply because they could work with a minimal amount to achieve maximal results.

That didn't say Harry or Daphne couldn't deal out any kind of magical mass destruction, they could. It was just that their magic was better suited for small scale use or rather to the spot application. Over the two years Daphne had diligently copied nearly the whole library on her quest for knowledge and useful information. She even had learned heaps and heaps from the small elf girl, even if it was mostly gossip about various things and other things she had heard. After their seventh visit Harry stopped his visits to the Circle altogether.

The reason was his first real encounter with a Tranquil and the explanation what had happened to her and why. Because of his Avatar of Death status Harry was able to for a lack of better word 'see' a person's soul and what he saw seriously disturbed him. Turning a mage tranquil does seriously damage that person's soul, or at least these parts which you could manipulate. Because the soul of a mage enables him to visit the fade and receive magical energy through this connection it is a serious offense in the great picture to cripple someone's soul just to render that person tranquil. Better kill them outright, much more merciful in his opinion.

Both of them had even thought about it if it would be a good idea to do something against that barbaric practice. In the end they decided against it. Harry could still remember in all colors of the rainbow his ninth reincarnation where he was actual encouraged by Lord Death and Lady Life to help humanity. In the end both acknowledged that you can't help anybody and can make the situation seriously more complicated and serve when you try to help. Being ten thousand years encased on a golden throne seriously discourages anyone from any tendencies in directly helping people on a larger scale, it definitely freed him from his helping people syndrome.

Coming out of her musings Daphne patiently answered all the question of the little girl. No they didn't forget her, yes she will try to visit more, yes she would practice with her magical theory, she and Harry were fine, and many more questions were answered. For the rest of the day one girl and one young woman were braving one of the Four Schools of Magic, Primal. Even if Daphne would probably never be able to use the theory the same way normal mages could she at least learned enough to help her transfer spell knowledge from one magic to another.

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

While Daphne was off playing in that Circle of Magic Harry was just finished with the third charcoal pile and ready to continue with whatever he wanted to do. Having moved the wagon next to the barn with all the useful stuff he busily unloaded all those sacks of charcoal and charcoal dust. He left the last ten sacks of charcoal on the wagon and put ten sacks of wheat next to them. Looking from the wagon to the barn Harry shrugged his shoulders and went inside again.

Climbing on top of the stack of those ten meter long hardwood logs he stuck six hooks into one of the top logs. Each hook itself was attached to a chain which then was attached to a chain block secured on rails under the roof. After the log was finally on the ground he broke it apart with his axe into smaller billets for easier transportation. Most of these billets were left in front of the stack of logs three however he placed on the wagon, maybe someone in the next village new what kind of wood that was.

Seating himself onto the wagon he drove it along a seldom used rood through the Bracilien Forest which would take him the fastest to the next village. All in all it was a good journey even if somewhat lonely. Having one eye on the road and a second constantly on the lookout Harry hoped he would be at the next village, a place called Woodgreen he believed, before it was complete dark. Wrapping himself into his travelling coat because it was really getting cold now, or maybe the warming charms just gave out, Harry mused if he should take out one of his books and a candle from his backpack.

His musings however came to an abrupt halt as just after one hour traveling three Dailish elves stepped out of the wood work, weapons drawn and arrows notched.

"Hold shem!" one of the elves said, probably the leader, "What are you doing here?"

Pulling the hood of his cloak back Harry watched these Dalish with slight amusement showing in his eyes. There were three, two males and one female dressed in brown and dark green leather armor plus cloaks, probably against the cold. The one who spoke looked at him with dislike and distrust, the other male looked balefully while the face of the female was blank. They were definitely not a happy lot.

Looking at the three elves with an open and friendly face Harry simply ignored the rude tone "Ah, I was just on my way to Woodgreen to trade some things."

"If that is so, why don't you use the main road like everyone else of your _kind_, shem?" the elf spoke the word 'kind' like it were something disgusting as the other two started to slowly circle him.

"So? This is simply the shortest way. What is your problem anyway?" oh Harry had some ideas what his problem may be, ranging from a general dislike to humans to having something unpleasant stuck in his arse.

"What my problem is shem? My problem is you and all of your misbegotten kin…"

"Shut up Thiadon." the female Dalish interrupted the other one, never taking her eyes of Harry, "And you shemlen came too near to our camp, what do you want?"

In the end it was decided by the elves that Harry shall be brought before their Keeper to receive judgment. Harry just went along, not only because he was curious about the Dalish but also because he didn't want to make a fuss. In the end the Dalish Keeper of the Sabrae Clan Marethari decided that the clan should pack their things together in the coming days and move to another place. Harry himself was allowed to move freely but under the watchful gaze of the clan's hunters.

He was curiously watching the clan's master craftsman when he realized what kind of wood Master Ilen was handling. Hurrying back to the wagon he took one of the wood billets, his bow and went back to the master craftsman.

"What do you want shemlen?" the master craftsman asked in a matter of fact voice.

"I would like to know what kind of wood that is in my hands. It looks familiar to the wood you are working on," Harry answered and dropped the wood billet on the master craftsman's table.

Master Ilen put his tools and the piece of wood he was working to the side and took a good look at the wood billet on his table "That is good wood, shemlen. It is called ironbark and in the hand of a good craftsman it can be turned into weapons and armor alike, it can be even stronger than steel. A nice block of ironbark, would you willing to trade it for something?"

"How about your knowledge how to craft it, of course I would trade more than that small bloke for your knowledge." Harry asked the owlish blinking elf.

"That … I have to talk with our Keeper. To learn the art of crafting wood is not something taken lightly and you would have to trade far, far more ironbark than that. Mhmm … may I see that bow of yours?" without hesitation Harry gave the master craftsman his English style longbow made out of ironbark.

"Yes, that is good craftsmanship. Did you make the bow on your own?" Master Ilen received a nod, "Then you are definitely skilled in the art. I just don't understand why the wood of the bow like the billet is light teal in color and not like normal light blue, strange."

In the end Harry was allowed to learn from Master Ilen the art of crafting ironbark wood, in exchange for six ten meter long logs. In Harry's opinion it had been a good deal and so over the next two weeks he threw himself into learning to craft with ironbark. Master Ilen and Harry even exchanged some ideas and tested different ways to craft the wood. Harry supplied happily his own ironbark for their experiments purely by accident they even found a way to temper it like metal above a cold flame.

Over those two weeks where Harry went every morning to the Dalish and every evening back home Daphne took charge in managing their home and give the tax collectors their share, one fifth of the harvest for the crown, one fifth of the harvest for the Teyrn, one fifth of the harvest for their Bann and one tenth of their earnings for the chantry.

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

**Brecilian Passage, Green Farmstead, 20****th**** of Haring in 9:26 Dragon**

Daphne was currently sitting under the canopy on the front of their home. A makeshift fire place, a round steel bottom standing on three footholds and carrying a metal grate in form of a cylinder, to her left filled with burning charcoal gave enough protection against the biting cold. As she was currently patching some of their clothes up Daphne listened to the rhythmic sound of a hammer hitting metal.

Harry himself was standing at an anvil next to a forge and hammering away at a white glowing rod. The smithy was situated under a canopy next to the left barn and had an anvil, a forge, grindstone, a workbench of hardened steel and a smelter. At the side on a makeshift wall extending from the barns were several tools on racks and shelves like pincers, tongs, hammers, molds, chisels, axes and others in many sizes, materials and different form.

He was just contemplating if he she turn the metal into a spring or something else he needed to repair the wagon when he noticed movement at the edge of his visual field. Daphne looking up curiously from her work because Harry stopped hammering and frowned when she saw what looked like three horses and two riders coming along the road in their direction. Looking from the unknown riders to her husband she noticed Harry had already placed his tools back and stepped out of the smithy and went to great them.

As the riders came closer Harry spotted something or rather someone clothed in a thick traveling cloak sitting behind one of the riders. The person without the extra baggage was guiding the third horse.

When Harry recognized the one rider pulling the other horse along he got curious "My lord Rockwood, how can I help you?"

Thomas Rockwood was their Bann and a man of duty. Unlike many other nobles Harry and Daphne have met in their lives Thomas Rockwood was someone who took his duties to his vassals as serious as he did his duties to the crown and his own ledge lord. He was, like many people in the Gwaren Teyrnir of a good high with wide shoulders and a muscular build honed over years of working on his own fields and keeping himself in shape through his sword training. All in all he was a pleasant man who knew when he could relax, himself as with his subordinates, as well as when protocol and discipline was to be enforced.

"Harry, how are you and your beautiful wife? I hope it is not inconvenient but may we impose on your hospitality? One of my traveling companions has fallen ill." came the deep baritone of Bann Rockwood's voice.

"Not a problem my lord," Harry said and had already moved next to the other person to take a look.

As he studied the feverish face of a woman he gave only a short glance and nod to the rider in front of her.

"Looking at her I can already tell she has to stay a day or two, maybe more. One moment," carefully he pulled the woman from the horse and carried her bride style to the house, "I will bring her inside so my wife can take care of her, in the meantime you could bring the horses into the barn on the left my lord. I will come back as soon as possible."

With that Harry walked with a fast pace to the house leaving one bemused Bann and his scowling companion behind.

"What an interesting fellow." the other man said, dismounting from his horse and led it to the said barn.

"Harry is one of my best men I have as freeholders. His farm produces in comparison more than triple the amount of the next most successful farm with the same size." Bann Rockwood said and followed with the other two horses his companion.

Daphne already expected him at the front door and led him with the woman in his arms through the house into a bathing room.

"While I take care of her can you please put some fires on to heat the water and floor? I would hazard a guess that those two men need a bath as well." she said to Harry and started stripping the woman.

While Harry went back to his guests Daphne was already taking off parts of the woman's armor. When she was about to take of the breast plate the woman started to squirm and moan.

"What the …" she didn't come any further and before the woman could fully open her eyes and register her surroundings she drifted off to sleep again.

After the sleep spell took hold Daphne casted another spell to keep the woman asleep for the next twelve hours at the least. Looking down on all those straps and whatnot Daphne got frustrated.

"Fuck this!" she said and pulled out her wand.

Normally you would think after a certain time of magic use you would automatically pick up wandless magic on the way and do your magic that way. The thing is with their form of magic as much as a wand is a magical focus and makes is actual easier to access your magic in the end it puts a limit to the amount of magic you can use at any one moment. To circumvent that the magic user can use a staff, this allows you to use up to a really gigantic amount of magic, on the down side you will unable use that magic with good precision, you will never reach the precision you have with a wand.

The same goes for wandless magic. You can use a huge amount but on the other hand will lose a good portion of the precision you have with a wand. So with her wand in her hand Daphne, with three small moves and a thought command, stripped the woman of all her clothes, which neatly folded appeared on a chair next to the door. The armor appeared on an armor stand in one of the guest rooms. As the woman was levitated above ground, the cold floor is not good for an ill feeling person Daphne pointed the tip of the wand at the small iron bathtube and filled it with a stream of water.

Yet another flick with the wand heated the water up to a comfortable temperature. While Daphne was washing and taking care of the unnamed female Harry made his way out of the house and to the barn. Looking inside the barn he saw the Bann and his friend actual putting the horses into three empty horse boxes at the one end of the building.

"Ah Harry, let me introduce you to this kind sir. Harry Green meet Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir, my Lordship meet Harry Green, owner of this wonderful place." the way Bann Rockwood smiled set Harry somewhat on edge.

Harry looked closer at the Teyrn who was more interested in looking around and scrutinizing the barn "My Lordship, it's an honor to meet you."

Harry didn't quite manage to keep the sarcasm out of his voice which Rockwood with his widening grin definitely picked up. The Teyrn just gave him a scowling look and grunt.

"Interesting way of building a barn, how do you keep it inside warm enough against the cold winter?" Loghain asked and peered at the six horse boxes and the stone floor they were built on.

"I'm not sure what you mean?" Harry was rather confused.

The thing is horses, cattle and other farm animals which usually live outside get at the start of winter thick cloaks of fur. That applied most certainly to Ferelden Frostback Mountain Horses, a Ferelden horse breed which are especially attuned to the Ferelden harsh winters. And because Harry's and Daphne's horses were from that breed Harry wasn't sure what Loghain meant.

"Harry has two Ferelden Frostback Mountain Horses your Lordship, he doesn't need much more than that. What the Teyrn wants to know if you can keep horses in your stable alive in winter which are not Ferelden horses? Our horses are Antivian Warmbloods." Bann Rockwood said and looked at Harry.

"Ah … okay. One moment please … or two." Harry went to a wooden box next to one of the horse boxes.

Opening the box Harry pulled three horse rugs out and went into the boxes of the Antivian Warmbloods and placed the rugs on the horses. Leaving the barn he turned around the corner and went down the building to the end which was the outside wall of the part where the horse boxes were. Bann Rockwood and Teyrn Loghain followed curiously and found around the corner a flight of stairs going down the backside of the barn.

At the end of the stairs was a door standing wide open. Stepping through the door they found themselves inside a large room with a low ceiling. The ceiling was mostly compromised out of wooden beams going all ten meters from one side to the other. Interesting enough the whole room seemed to take the same space as all six horse boxes above in the barn plus the small corridor between them. In the middle of the room there seemed to be a single pillar made out of bricks and Harry was kneeling in front of it.

Moving closer Bann Blackwood and Teyrn Mac Tir saw that Harry was in fact kneeling in front of an opening in the pillar and that the pillar was hollow inside. With a strike-alight and flint Harry tried to make a fire from the looks of it and succeeded at the third strike. When the dry leaves burned away they lit up several sticks of wood which themselves set some blocks of charcoal alight. Taking a shovel Harry gave the growing fire some good amounts of charcoal from a pile on the side of the room.

Closing the metal door before the whole in brick pillar Harry stood up and made his way out of the room.

"What does that do?" Loghain asked as he curiously looked at the pillar and from there to the ceiling where the pillar vanished in a gap between the beams.

"The fire inside the pillar heats up the air and that hot air travels up into a small free space between two floors where the top floor is the floor the horse boxes were built upon. I can show you how that look like if you want follow me?" with that he went out of the room, the two nobles following him and closing the door.

Going to the other barn Harry pulled out a handcart and filled it with two sacks of charcoal, one sack of dried leaves, grass and things like that and some small wood billets. With the handcart he went to the backside on the right hand side of the main house, the two nobles followed behind. Arriving there Loghain and Thomas saw two interesting things. The first thing was some kind of metal container connected with two metal tubes with the house, roughly four meters high, two meters width and five meters long. The container sat on a base of bricks half a meter high with the same width and length.

This construct, like the pillar underneath the barn with the horse boxes had a small metal door as well. The second interesting thing was the lowered ground at the back wall of the building. There innocently sitting were two width metal doors. Not only did Harry open these two but also the one underneath the metal container. While Harry placed some of the smaller logs in his cart, a good amount of charcoal and some of the dried grass and whatnot into the base beneath the metal container Loghain and Thomas looked inside the other two openings beneath the house.

What they saw was the underside of the floor inside the house and dozens of flagstones working as pillars to support said floor. The space between the underside of the house floor and the floor those flagstones lay on was around ten inches high the only exceptions were two small pits filled with some ashes directly past the metal doors. Finished at the large metal container Harry repeated what he did there with the rest of wood, charcoal and dried stuff at the two small pits.

"What are you seeing here my Lords, is the bottom side of the bath. Just like what I did beneath the horse boxes these two fires will heat up the air inside that free space. Through this the stone floor will heat up as well which consist of a special stone able to hold the warmth. Damn useful in times of winter if I say so myself. The metal container behind me is actual a water basin and the fire beneath it will heat the water enough up for a nice bath. The one tube here does transport the water directly into the bath and the other leads rain water from the roof into the basin. So, how about a bath my Lords?" Harry said and closed the metal doors.

Bann Thomas Rockwood was rather giddy. He himself had already seen what Harry had built here and had even paid the young man to build something similar for him. Even if his own bath was way more fanciful than Harry's, thanks to the demands of his wife, he still very much liked Harry's down to earth version. Teyrin Loghain Mac Tir was rather impressed. At first he had feared the young man had built something fancy orlesian for his home but he was fairly fast disabused of that line of thought. If anything the construct reminded him of dwarven engineering.

In the end all three men took a nice long bath while Daphne, after making sure the female knight was cared for, made for all of them a good strong meal. The two nobles stayed for around the next five days because Ser Cauthrien, the name of the female knight, came down with a heavy cold and way to high temperature. The Bann and Teyrn didn't consider themselves too good in helping around the farm. It was even somewhat hectic but nonetheless relaxing time with their guests.

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

**Brecilian Passage, Green Farmstead, 15****th**** of Drakonis in 9:29 Dragon**

Humming a soft tune Daphne was walking one last time through their farmstead, their home for nearly the last ten years. The deal with Bann Thomas Rockwood had been a ten years contract for their plot of land with the option of further negotiations after nine years for a live long or similar contract. In the end Daphne and Harry had declined to extend their contract or negotiate a new one. Bann Rockwood had been rather disappointed but in the end relented.

Looking into the barn Harry normally stored the sacks of charcoal, wheat, logs of ironbark and many other things she only found it empty inside, just like the other barn. Over the last seven days both had been thoroughly going through anything they owned and magically packing it away with the help of bottomless trunks, which funny enough had an actual limit. Even Harry's smithy and Daphne's garden had been cleaned out, the only testimonial left were marks on the ground left by smelter and anvil as well those where once stood Daphne's two greenhouses.

Smiling softly Daphne looked at one of the fields, remembering a time when she and Harry armed with a scythe brought in their harvest. It had been most amusing the one time when Harry didn't find any motivation to do and tried to harvest the crop with cutting curses. It didn't end too well with their harvest that year. Now the only thing growing on the fields was lush green grass.

Looking one last time around she went to their two horses which were lazily walking around in the pleasant afternoon sun. Pulling out her wand she first turned the right than the left horse into a pebble, summoned the two pebbles and put them securely into one of her breast pockets. Walking back into the house she looked around and slowly walking from room to room remembering the happy times they had here. The one time both of them cuddle on fur coat in front of the fire place, the one time a shelf crashed on him as he tried to fix it to the wall or the one time were she felt rather naughty and chained her loveable husband naked to the wall while she only wore a leather corset, knee-length leather boots and had a crop in her hands.

At the last thought a rather pleasant shudder went down her spine "Ah, good memories."

"What are good memories dear?" Harry asked looking up from his work.

Daphne slightly blushed, she hadn't intended to say that out loud, but whatever "The time I had chained you to the bedroom wall and had my wicked way with you my love."

Harry gave Daphne a smile full of love with a promise in his eyes to pay her back, Daphne absolutely approved that one.

Looking at Harry kneeling in front of ritual circle she eyed his dark grey and brown medium scale armor made out of red steel, the six silverite waraxes, a bucket helmet - in style similar to Templar helmets - made out of silverite and a backpack. Anything but the armor, which he was currently wearing neatly lay next to the backpack near the wall. Daphne herself wore her Dread Huntress armor, a light armor set she had learned to craft in a previous live, with extra mesh armor underneath it.

Her backpack attached with her compound bow, quiver full of arrows and silverite shortsword lay next to Harry's, her obsidian black magic staff stood next to the backpacks against the wall.

"So, everything ready?" Daphne asked and looked the ritual circle over, noticing the many rune scripts and rune arrays.

"Yes, that should work." Harry said and stood up.

As they put on the rest of their stuff Daphne mused about what they were to attempt. For whatever reason their ability to apparate would not work for anything that is not within their field of vision, apparating around on the field were they could see the spot they would later appear was not a problem. The problems however were pulling an image from your memory and use that as your destination. The magic somehow just stops short of connecting. It was like there was some kind of blanked which disrupts any attempt at connecting the image with your magic, very strange.

So together they went through the arithmancy of apparition trying to find the problem or a way to work around. Their solution in finding a way around the problem was creating a ritual circle which would help them finding the actual problem by trying to force the apparition. This can of course blow up in their faces, no question, however every test just indicates that it either will happen or not.

Now fully prepared Harry made a simple wave with his hand and spoke the command phrase, anxious of what was to come. For Daphne who just went along with Harry in a kind of side by side apparition it didn't feel like anything she had felt in context to apparition before. There was no feeling of being pulled or squeezed throw a tube, she simply stopped existing in one place and started existing in another very dark place.

For Harry however the situation was very much different. The first thing that started to feel strange was when the ritual circle started pumping huge amounts of magic into his system. It was like forcing water into an indestructible balloon which was already half full and the balloon expanded more and more. In the meantime the magic was pumped into his system it also tried to initiate the apparition which was time and time again stopped at that strange blanket, it just didn't want to give in.

And just before the amount of magic in his body became unbearable something flipped the switch. It was like just one moment the blanket was there, invincible and indestructible the very next it wasn't simply there anymore. Harry's body now completely overcome by magic just threw itself into the fabric of reality constant on the lookout for a proper destination. The destination Harry had already in his mind was first ignored and then shredded to bits and pieces.

Changing direction to one of two possible destinations magic itself provided Harry came to a crashing halt and even staggered for a moment to gather his bearings. That proved however to be futile because there was still a freaking huge amount of magic running through his system, urging to him to do something and then travel to that other place, wherever that was.

The only thing Daphne could recognize was a small fire somewhere in the far distance and two torches burning on the ground some dozen meter away. Thinking nothing of it she conjured up a hover ball of light which should be able to shed some light into the darkness, and shed some light it did. A giant cave was suddenly bathed in cold light, showing many things Daphne definitely didn't want to see. And most important she didn't want to see that huge being no freaking thirty meters away.

"Fuck," definitely described their situation.

Harry still trying to get his bearings and magic under control looked up from his kneeling spot and right into an insane looking white eye. That eye was enclosed by a black skull dotted with red glowing points, the skulls had two sharp dagger even short sword sized rows of teeth and the skull was attached to a very long neck connecting it to a massive body.

Harry could feel the dark and corrupted magic radiate from that mighty dragon in waves, he could taste it in the air and just like Daphne he was instantly aware what kind of degenerated and insane creature was looking down on them. Lucky for them the dragon was as confused about their arrival as they were, probably even more so. Harry finally gave into the magic singing in his ears and did the first thing, the first bit of magic which came to his mind. Ironically he fired of the first spell he not only ever in living memory had witnessed but also experienced. Pointing two fingers right at the dragon Harry gave words to his thoughts and even something more.

"Avada Kedavra" and the cave was bathed in in a deep green light.

****=====||=(°.°)=||=====****

****Thanks to the reviewers: banesith777, Guest, Shadowsmage, Naruto-Uzu-Uchiha, Vi38, Vatsayayana69, ww1990ww, Le Diable Blanc2, FateBurn, Kaioo, Dovakiin1503, bandgsecurtiyaw, , bullseye89****


	4. Chapter 4

**AM:Some might have seen it and some not but I changed the first chapter. It was just too much information dump not necessary to the story. And again this is still a work in progress, so leave a comment, ideas and so on. Share what you think and why you think so.**

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

**Chapter 4: Grey Warden's Duty**

**Or**

**Of God's and Corruption**

"Avada Kedavra"

Avada Kedavra or the Killing Curse, one third of the three so called Unforgivable Curses was emotion driven and soul based magic. Like the Imperius Curse Avada Kedavra was labeled as an Unforgivable not because what it did to the victim but what it primarily did to the caster. If Avada Kedavra simply killed the victim and did nothing else it would only be classified as black magic like many other spells which had been developed to kill someone or something. The problem is however that an overuse of Avada Kedavra would slowly change the mindset of the user.

Continuing usage of the Killing Curse gave the user more and more the impression that it was an acceptable way to solve a problem. The same can be said of the other two Unforgivable Curses which like the Killing Curse slowly but surely change the user's mind, even his very soul, that the use of said curse was desired. Using Avada Kedavra one would start delighting in the death of one's enemy, using the Imperius the user would not only demand absolute obedience but would also expect it for every whim and using the Cruciatus the user would not only delight in the agony of its victim but slowly drive the user utterly insane.

All three curses would act like drugs to the user's soul and only continued use would satisfy the addiction. The wizard or witch would become playthings to the magic of curses itself. However there are of course exceptions to the rule. It is after all still magic and with magic nearly everything is possible. Using Cruciatus and Imperius the user must have at the moment of usage one simple mindset. He or she must delight in causing pain and he or she must delight in subjugating the victims will, otherwise neither one nor the other curse would take hold and the addiction would not take place, so things like righteous anger are not 'enough' to fuel the Cruciatus for example. The Killing curse however is a little trickier. Simply put the Killing Curse is a one shot curse which either works or not and should it work the curses magic would leave the first addictive imprint on one's soul.

Of course like many drugs a onetime use would not make you automatically an addict, it can, but mostly only continued usage would make the addiction taking hold. This of course is a dangerous edge one walks upon and many before thought they could guard themselves against the consequences by using the spell in only the 'right' situations, never realizing they already fell into the spells trap. There were of course similar exceptions with the Cruciatus and Imperius Curse as well but those were even more complex. All this and more went through Harry's head as he threw the only spell he knew which could one-shot a dragon, if you were very lucky. The only spell he swore to himself to never use against a human or similar being.

For Daphne it was an awe inspiring sight, because it appeared not like she expected a jet of green light but a mighty thunderbolt. Thinking about it why that was the case Daphne came to the conclusion that Harry used not one put two spells, the first spell was obviously the Killing Curse, the second spell Harry had cast however seemed to be some kind of thunder bolt like spell. The thunderbolt she saw was not only a spell with its own attack pattern but also worked as a carrier spell for the Killing Curse. That at least was the conclusion she came to watching both spells at work.

Said bolt impacted into the flank of the dragon and in with a electricity like effect, the spells crawled along the skin of the mighty beast searching for a weak point to enter and do its purpose. Nearly the whole body was already encased in arcs of green light which jumped from here to there when finally the curse reached the head and its tendrils punched into the creature's eyes and mouth.

All in all it took maybe two seconds before the Killing Curse finally did its work, two seconds the mighty dragon tried to throw off what was crawling along its skin. When finally the first tendril found a weak spot two things happened. First the green light seemed to flow into the weak spots at breathtaking speed, leaving only white bluish glowing and crackling flashes of lightning behind. The second thing that happened was the moment the dragon started to collapse, showing the Killing Curse had finally done its work, the flashes of lightning still jumping around on the dragon's skin jumped in the dozens from there to anything else in its vicinity.

Dozens of smaller thunderbolts jumped from victim to victim as they incinerated huge amounts of smaller abominations in the size of dwarves and humans. The last six of these grotesque monsters, which were lucky enough not to stand to close to their dying brethren, were picked of one by one by Daphne and her bow. When finally everything besides Harry and Daphne lay dead on the ground, the latter took a deep breath to get her bearings together while Harry still tried to get hold on to the magic running havoc through his system. The stench was horrible.

What followed next was something Daphne had never seen before and Harry only in a different way. Exiting the dead dragons body was something wraith like, crackling with energy and giving of a scream not meant to be heard in the world of the living. The wraith, looking like a black and formless cloud, hovered for a moment above the corpse only to flee to one of the tunnels and disappearing into it, destination unknown.

"By the Aspects, what kind of abomination was that?" Daphne exclaimed with an uneasy feeling in her stomach, looking from where the wraith has disappeared into to her kneeling and shaking husband.

Harry ignored her as he touched his wife's leg and tried to apparate away, he had no luck. The moment he tried to do it his magic literally pinned him to the ground while the singing in his ears got remarkable louder. It was like magic itself didn't want him to leave until he did something specific, whatever that was. In the back of his head a small part of Harry's mind noted the similarity between under the effects of Felix Felicis and now. Thinking furiously what magic would possible want from him he said the first thing which made any sense whatsoever to him.

"Daphne, the dragon and those six bodies." he said with a very shaky voice as he pointed over to the six abominations which Daphne had killed with her bow and the giant corpse of the dragon.

Looking at Harry with a raised eyebrow Daphne could only shrug her shoulders. After summoning a special bag from her storage space, a bag which was so heavily enchanted with protections you could easily place the most vile and evil things in it to protect yourself, she made her way to the dragon corpse. With a wave of her hand the six abominations she had killed turned into pebbles and were summoned into the bag. A second wave of her hand and all those electrified abominations were put together as one big pile at the side of the cave, a snap of Daphne's fingers set the pile on fire.

Concentrating on her tattoo and therefor on her storage space again Daphne summoned twenty-one palm sized, black stones which with a wave of her hand twenty of them placed themselves around the corps of the corrupted dragon. The last stone she placed on the dragon itself. Pulling out her wand Daphne started to recite a rather long and complex incantation which ended in tapping the rune stone on the dragon. One after another the runes on the stones started glow until all twenty-one glowed. The moment the twenty stones surrounding the dragon pulsed on time they disappeared along with the dragon as well only leaving the stone which had been on the dragon itself now lying on the ground.

A last wave with the wand in her hand the black stone now with a red glowing rune on its surface jumped into the bag in her hands as well. Turning around Daphne went back to the side of her husband and gently helped him onto his feet. Giving his wife a grateful smile Harry once again concentrated on his magic which had stopped pinning him to the ground and apparated with a mighty gong away with Daphne by his side.

Having arrived in a new place Daphne left the arm of Harry and gave the surroundings a curious glance. The pair found themselves in the courtyard of a really big castle or Fortress covered in snow and ice.

"Harry, what are we …" Daphne asked without looking at her Husband only to be interrupted by being flung to the side as the overflow of magic in her husband's body simply exploded. Daphne had already asked herself in the cave how Harry could possible reign in these huge amounts of magic and a curious glance with her magic sight had given her a surprising answer. Either the ritual itself had placed certain locks on Harry's magic, which she found rather unlikely, or something or someone had placed them on him, making sure he doesn't explode like a bomb.

Now however these locks had just shattered one by one and all that magic naturally wanted out. Using the momentum behind her short flight Daphne took the moment she had contact with the ground and made a backward roll. Coming to a stop on her knees, the young blond slowly stood up to face her husband only to see the sight of her burning Harry. Better safe than sorry Daphne erected the strongest magical shields she could think of as she studied what was happening in front of her under her magic sight and thought furiously what to do.

While Daphne exercised her flexible body and put her skills in not hurting herself falling to the ground to the test, the magic, which was pouring out of Harry in huge amounts, set his body literally aflame in what looked light blue electrical fire right out of a magical furnace. It took maybe five seconds before the pain of the release was so unbearable that finally Harry screamed to the high heavens in hope to get at least some relieve. Thankfully what was happening to him wasn't nearly as painful as the Cruciatus. A lone tear ran down Daphne's face at the sight of her husband being in pain and her being unable to do anything. She hated it as much seeing Harry in pain as he hated seeing her in pain but regrettably she could do nothing to sooth him.

Ten seconds after Daphne had been flung to the side the magic in Harry seemed to be getting violent, more violent that it already were. Harry's magic started to lash out like lightning strikes and attack anything in the vicinity. A shed to Daphne's right side was reduced to a pile of smoking stones and charcoal and a statue of Andraste to her left was simply blasted to oblivion. There was even a moment where Daphne really started to worry as one of those magical thunderbolts impacted on her shield and in one short moment nearly crashed through it.

From how it felt like at first it seemed someone would use a hammer weighting tons and not even a fraction of a second later it was replaced by a feather. However, that feather was still able to bring Daphne to her knees as she desperately tried to keep her magically shield intact. For one tiny moment Daphne thought she had felt how the magic in the thunderbolt recognized her, for a lack of a better word. The only question was where the rest of that energy went which just a moment ago crashed down on her.

Only the tiny fraction of a second after she had asked herself what was happening gave her the answer. An explosion behind her told the story of something being reduced to atomic particles. It seemed that Harry's magic not only recognized her and tried to protect her. It apparently could adapt itself enough to do just that by using her magical shield as something akin to a Faraday cage.

Under her magic sight Daphne saw a very inspiring and maybe even awe inducing sight. In her vision she saw Harry's magic as something like a green glowing gas which slowly covered the ground and saturated the air. The gas however seemed to be in conflict with a slightly blue glowing gas which seemed to seep into the world via cracks in the air. Recognizing the cracks as tears in the veil Daphne concluded that the gas had to be this world's magic in its purest form, which the magic gifted people only used in a more diluted form.

What she saw was truly impressive as both 'gases' started to annihilate each other where they touched, glowing in a bright purple while doing so. While the purple glow was surely creeping closer and closer to the cracks in the air several shadows seemed to jump out of these cracks and possessed a good three dozen corpses lying on the ground. Unluckily for the newly possessed corpses they were promptly incinerated via magical thunder bolts the moment they only twitched. In all of Daphne's musings Harry's magic didn't pause even a second and still lashed out here and there.

The latest victims just happened to be the newly possessed corpses. A dull bang brought Daphne back to the present. Looking quickly around she noted that Harry had obviously screamed himself horse and was lying on his back on the ground taking deep breaths. From the look on his face and the now very much lower intensity of the magical furnace and storm that was pouring out of him she concluded that he was slowly burning out. A second dull bang drew Daphne's attention to the battling magic in the air only to see the last tear in the veil completely glowing purple until said glow simply vanished with a dull bang as well.

"Harry?" when he finally stopped expelling magic like a volcano Daphne made careful steps to her on the ground lying and panting husband.

Taking out her wand she started to cast one spell after another over Harry and with every spell her face got a more thoughtful look with a slightly grim edge. Daphne only acknowledged with a quick glance that Harry's magic rushed inside the big castle in which courtyard they were. Only now she got the time to take the surroundings in. The castle was from her perspective huge, easily as big as Hogwarts had been once upon a time. Steps, which had been driven into the very stone the castle stood on, went up to the main entrance of the building with only small interruptions.

The first was a small plateau half way up for steps coming from the other side and the somewhat bigger plateau before the mighty doors into the building itself which were now wide open. The courtyard was encased by a 4 meter high wall with the only way out being a gate in between two eight meter high towers, along the wall where many houses, workshops and open stables, with one or more piles of still smoking debris in between. However what confused Daphne slightly was how fresh and cold the air tasted. From her point of view she could only see the sky, no mountains in the distance or trees from behind the wall.

The only exception was when she looked through the open gate and saw a path going down and some stone formations in the distance. Maybe this castle had been built on top of a mountain? Bringing back her concentration to her spells Daphne frowned. Aside from Harry being unconscious, having seriously depleted his magic and with many sore muscles there was something in his system which didn't belong there. There was something dark and corrupting, eating away at his body which just barely kept the harmful presence at bay.

Several loud but dull bangs and a loud, angry and terrible painful scream coming out of the castle interrupted her musings and Daphne not only stretched her senses out but fired several detection spells in every direction. From what she could feel and the readings she got from her spells Harry's magic had found one mighty and many tiny tears in the veil inside the castle and had just completely dispersed itself. On top of that there seemed to be still something living inside, completely to the contrary of the abandoned look and feeling the castle gave her.

"Why not … there seemed to be a reason we are here." Daphne mused out loud, grabbed her staff with her left hand while her wand was still in her right.

A simple wave with her wand had Harry and all their stuff floating above ground behind her as she made her way up the stairs and into the castle. Daphne gave the entrance hall only a casual look, noting the old banners, armors in the corners and a piece of parchment on the wall. She could look at everything later, after she made sure this place was safe and secure. Fast steps brought the blond woman through a pair of doors and into a big hall. Noting the wooden pieces, tables and chairs lying around Daphne gave this big room a much longer look.

There was a door to the left and a door to the right. In front of her she could see the gallery of another floor from which you could see down onto the one she was standing on. With a glance to the ceiling and comparing it to the high of the gallery she noted that this halls ceiling was at least on the level of the second floor ceiling, probably even somewhere in between of the second and third floors ceiling.

Stepping through the door on her left first Daphne found a room which maybe had been a small armory once upon a time. The broken weapon racks and armor stands gave credit to that assumption. Turning back to the big hall she made her way through the door on the other side and found a small hallway. Two doors seemed to be blocked from the other side and one was blocked by debris of big stone blocks.

Following the hallway she came upon what had been a library. Book shelfs nearly completely covered the walls with the only exception being two doors and two fallen over shelfs. The bigger part of the library seemed to be intact but there were still a huge number of ruined books. Shrugging her shoulders Daphne stepped through the room and just wanted to open the door when a sound from the other side stopped her.

Holding her ear to the door she heard something that sounded suspiciously like moaning, groaning and scrapping of metal on stone. Stepping back from the door she placed the unconscious body of her husband behind a stone pillar and layered him with one protective spell after another. With a flick of her right hand her wand disappeared back into her wrist holder. Gripping her staff with both hands she aimed the top at the door and fired something what looked like a small glass ball.

When the small ball impacted the door, the door was reduced to saw dust and the dust then spread into the other room. Having already determined that there were no living beings in the next room Daphne fired a fire arrow into the dust cloud. The dust cloud went not only up in flames but literally exploded. The shock wave of the explosion was enough to throw the library into complete disarray and the fire wave tried to set anything aflame.

Luckily Harry and she herself had been protected by all those protection spells she had placed on him and the surrounding area, where she still stood. Making a face at that amateur mistake Daphne cast a fire suppression charm on the room and made her way into the next one.

"Ah … possessed corpses … tch." Daphne muttered as she noted the burned black bodies in the vicinity of the former door and a good dozen on the ground on the other side of the room.

"So … how was it? Best kill it with fire. Works at least against Inferi." she said and pointed her staff at the biggest concentration of Zombies.

The only warning that something was going to happen was a slight shimmer in the air right before the top of her black staff, the top Daphne was currently pointing at the zombies trying to stand up. No two seconds later a stream of orange and yellow fire poured out of the staff and happily consumed what it touched and could. Guiding her magical flame thrower Daphne methodically sterilized the room via fire. When she finally stopped everything organic had been utterly consumed.

Leaving the staff in the grasp of her left hand Daphne made a slight flick with her right hand causing her wand to appear in it. Two smooth waves with her wand had the protection spells in the room behind dissolved and was Harry floating behind her again. Leaving the room with her husband following next to her Daphne made her way along the gallery she had seen before and up a flight of stairs. At the top she stopped seeing something interesting.

To her slight right in the corner of a small hall stood a mirror covered in symbols, symbols she recognized as being part of this worlds magic. Not only that, before the mirror were four burned out summoning circles. What really got her attention however was the tall standing mage in one of the two doorways leaving the hall. The man was roughly 1,8 meter tall, clad in blue and white robes and had a magic staff on his back.

His bald and aged head gave Daphne a good estimate of his physical age of around eighty. Slightly sunken in eyes watched her like a hawk his pray and his protruding ears gave him a funny overhaul look. Daphne gave herself a mental shrug and walked up to the man to greet him, Harry closely following while hovering behind her.

Seeing more details of the mages robes Daphne recognized it as a Grey Wardens uniform. She herself had never seen one but one of the books in the Circle of Magi in Fereldan had many pictures and descriptions about them. While coming closer Daphne interestingly noted how casual the mages gaze wandered from her to her floating husband and back to her. The slight flicker in the mages pupils at Harrys floating filled her with a nice amount of satisfaction.

"Interesting, how interesting," the mage said with a hint of enthusiasm in a pleasant but unused voice, "Say young lady, am I to thank you for this remarkable day full of events I would have never thought of? But where are my manners, allow me to introduce myself. I am Avernus, Gray Warden, mage and only living inhabitant in this once glorious castle. May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

Daphne lifted slightly her left eyebrow and gave the mage an amused but calculating look. Now that she was closer she could taste his magic in the air and gave her much more useful information. It tasted old, ever active, slightly stale and somewhat corrupted while the corruption was waging a never ending war with it but was somehow locked in place. Being the avatar of Lady Life Daphne saw his spark of life and how it had been twisted and changed.

Aside from that his whole posture, the way he half bowed and spoke to her told her of a man dedicated to something, a man who knows how to move and conduct himself when faced with nobility, maybe even royalty. His choice of words and how he spoke them told her of a well read and educated person and the wear and tear in his uniform spoke of his diligence to his work, standing and role in life. The slight gleam in the man's eyes however gave Daphne warning. That man was not altogether there anymore, for whatever reason. The open curiosity with which Avernus studied Harry however made her smirk a little. Too many people were afraid of magic in this world for her taste, it was nice to meet someone who wasn't.

Giving Avernus a respectful nod Daphne said "My name is Daphne Green and the man floating behind me is my husband Harry. He is at the moment rather indisposed, as you can see. After he brought us her there had been an … incident, which led to him expelling most of his magic."

It had been so long, maybe even too long in Daphne's opinion since she had the chance of playing word games with someone that wasn't Harry. Every word, every phrase and information given was carefully calculated, even the aloof posture and the slightly friendly and open look on her face and of course while doing so Daphne watched this man like a panther on the prowl. So she didn't miss a certain spark in his eyes the moment she mentioned her Harry's magic.

Avernus regarded the young woman and her husband in front of him with new interest. At first he had cursed whoever unleashed the strange magical wave, it surely had demolished his current experiment. However after he saw what it had done not only the veil itself, it had never felt more stable than now, but also to his possessed former commander and the summoning circles he was positively giddy about how that had happened.

Piercing together what information he could gleam form the young woman - _"Daphne, her name is Daphne."_ he reminded himself - but also what he could see and feel through his eyes and magic Avernus concluded the following. Both these people were mages, both could wield a form of magic he didn't know about, both came her for a reason and both liberated him of some of his boredom. Avernus took a moment to contemplate how he had truly missed a conversation with another living being.

"Am I to assume correctly you came here for a reason?" Avernus inquired politely.

Daphne tilted her head to the side and gave a sidelong look at her husband, "I am unsure. The manner of our arrival says we are here for a reason, which I don't know … _but can give a very good guess._" the last part Daphne added in her thoughts.

Avernus only blinked at the cryptic answer. Daphne had said her husband brought them here and with her husband being unconscious...

"If I may?" the old mage asked, looked pointedly at Harry and flex his magic a little.

Daphne eyed the mage a moment, seemingly looking for something before gave a small nod. After having permission the old mage knelt beside Harry, placed the palm of his right hand on Harry's forehead and concentrated. Avernus used the same exercise many healers in his time used for looking for alignments inside a patient's body. He send a probe compressed of his magic into the floating man which in a sense 'asked' his body if and what was wrong.

What was fascinating however was not that he got an answer but how he got it. For a short moment Harry's own magic grabbed Avernus' probe, dragged it to the problem and then kicked it out. With a sigh Avernus removed his hand and stood up. If he was honest with himself he was rather excited, finally he could test a part of his theories. However the news he brought weren't something he liked to give.

"Unfortunately I am the bringer of bad news. Your husband has been infected with the taint and while his body seems to hold it at bay remarkably well at the moment sooner or later he will be consumed by it. I would guess the reason of bringing you here with him would be the wrong believe that the Gray Wardens have a cure for the taint." Avernus tried to keep his tone bland and emotionless but couldn't quite manage it.

Having a chance for a new test subject was too good to ignore. The blank look on Daphne's face however gave him pause. It was like she knew or suspected something. However her non-reaction to the taint was strange.

"Young lady, do you know what the taint is?" whatever else could the non-reaction bee but no knowledge about the problem?

"Yes." Daphne said simply, still having an unreadable look on her face.

"Of course, while we can't directly heal the blight disease or taint a victim can by joining the gray Wardens mitigate the problem. Yes, that should solve the problem. I have all the needed ingredients for a joining potion here it will …" Avernus started slightly to ramble, already imagine all the new experiments he could do with only one new Warden. Of course the more extreme experiments he probably would have to avoid.

"No." Daphne said softly and interrupted he old mage.

"Excuse me?" Avernus regarded the woman with a cold look, "Should your husband Harry not join the Gray Wardens he will die in about a month, no matter what you try to do."

"Let me elaborate, I will Harry not allow to drink your joining potion." the soft voice and still blank face did slightly unnerve Avernus.

For just a moment the old mage played with the idea of simply conscripting the young man then and there. Unfortunately he had no idea if said right was still available to him, with them having failed their little rebellion some one hundred and fifty years ago. Forcing the issue could be an idea but something made Avernus wary of Daphne, there was something unnatural. He snorted at that thought, pot calling the kettle black.

"Young miss, there is no other choice but …" Avernus was interrupted as a book appeared in Daphnes hand out of nowhere.

The old mage had no problem admitting he was rather startled at that feat. He watched the blond young women as she leafed through the pages, stopped after roughly one third and showed him what was written inside.

"According to First Enchanter Richard Annesley the Gray Warden's joining potion does have only a thirty percent success rate but it also was a lucky discovery to begin with. Something like this will never be given to my husband." Daphne declared dispassionately.

Avernus however was only listening with half an ear, he found reading the diary very interesting and even disturbing. The theories postulated by the First Enchanter about the Gray Wardens beginning and much more were very interesting and most of all very dangerous. Such information had always been tightly controlled by the order and now here was prove that someone had somewhat pierced the truth on several occasions.

Oh the order knew its origins. The speech given to the recruits about how the first Gray Wardens drank the blood and mastered the taint was very prosaic, and totally false. The truth of the matter was that the Tevinter Magisters frantically searched for a way to defeat the corrupted god and maybe even get an advantage against the horde. To that end they experimented with the blood of normal darkspawn and that of the twenty captured dead dragon bodies.

After tens of thousands dead the Magisters finally found the right mixture of lyrium, archdemon blood and darkspawn blood to give some poor bastard's the edge they needed. The platoon of Anderfels soldiers mentioned in the story was just the first group of trained soldiers desperate enough to do anything to stop the blight. While First Enchanter Richard never hit the bullseye in his theories he did however hit very close, in every damn theory.

Avernus was not a fanatic follower of the order, however he was intelligent enough to know what could happen with such knowledge in the wrong, meaning non Gray Wardens, hands. So he can be excuse for trying to limit the damage already done. Unlike the young practitioners of blood magic Avernus didn't need to cut himself to use the power in his blood and the gifted abilities with that school of magic. Any and all information had to be controlled. Unfortunately Avernus forgot the easiest way of controlling that information, namely letting Daphne join as well.

Daphne however was prepared. She had seen how his look changed from disbelieve to determination, she could feel how his magic started to stir and how his very blood started to sing with it. The moment she felt how an attack crashed into her mind shield Daphne retaliated. Avernus had been rather startled when he discovered he couldn't enter the woman's mind. Normally he would slip into the mind of a victim and then wrestle with it for control, but being stopped like that was new.

He had no time to react and could only watch in surprise as the woman retaliated. In one fast and fluid move Daphne had pointed her wand at the mage and fired her spells, one after another in rapid succession. Avernus felt how he was lifted from his feet and not half a second later crashed into the wall on the other side of the room. Before he could ask himself how he was still alive and more importantly healthy after crashing into a granite wall several metal half rings formed like horseshoes crashed into him and fixed him against the wall.

Like a star he was pinned to the wall and those metal rings held him there. His arms and legs were secured by four each, he had one around his neck and even his staff had been pinned to the wall by six. To add insult to injury the metal rings were not only pink but also sealed somehow his magic, he couldn't feel a single drop, even his blood magic was sealed. Looking back to the woman Avernus definitely didn't like what he saw. Both staff and wand were pointed at him, the tips glowing red with power.

The look in Daphne's eyes promised pain and murder and her face was frozen in a mask of absolute fury. Slowly she walked to him with a grace that he had seldom seen. Interesting enough her voice didn't betray anything she felt and stayed on a pleasant level, something which put a good amount of fear into him simply because of the extreme contrast to everything else.

"Gray Warden Avernus, I will not let my husband be used for any ill prepared experiments. I have nothing against him joining your little order, I even would join myself to stay at his side but don't mistake my attitude for acceptance to your methods. The joining potion, which by your reaction to the diary was as ill made as hinted, is nothing but poison you to this day still don't understand how and why it works the way it does. Meaning you will show me how it is made and we will find a better method before Harry or I join your order. And you will help me to the best of your abilities, will you not?" Avernus could only nod.

"Good …" here Daphne paused a moment and her face and eyes slipped back into a blank mask, "And make no mistake little blood mage. Should because of you my husband die I will not only make your death very painful, but I will also bring the castle down around your ears and hunt your order into extinction. By Andraste, the Maker and the Aspects that I promise you."

The last part Daphne nearly purred, sending a shiver of dread through Avernus' spine. What kind of woman was that? The small smirk and sparkle in her eyes told him enough that she would follow through. Nodding with satisfaction Daphne made a flick with her wand and vanished the metal rings securing Avernus and his staff to the wall.

For the next ten days Daphne and Avernus arranged themselves into a very careful form of coexistence. Meaning Daphne acted like she always did and Avernus treated her like a very poisonous snake ready to strike. Of course nobody could stand alert twenty four hours a day and seven days a week and Avernus finally let himself relax after the fith day. At the question about what she did with her husband she stared a moment at him blankly and explained in a rather bland like voice.

"I have cleared out Sophia's old room, etched some runes into the stone and door and left him there. It does not matter how much time passes here, the moment I open the door on the inside exactly one day went by." Daphne left it at that and searched for more books about the blight, darkspawn and taint.

Avernus was unsure how he should handle Daphne's meddling in his affairs, namely his experiments, but after the first time she gave him a dressing down about useless experiments he relented. It could of course have something to do with several books about magical and general experiments, how to conduct them and ideas about equipment and more.

"Let me get this straight, you just took some poor sod, caged him in, tortured him with ice, fire, electricity and more, with between every step probing his body with your magic, and … really? I mean seriously?" The blank look she had given after reading his journal about the experiments spoke volume.

Interesting enough Daphne didn't seem to care about his former subjects in particular, only in the sense of wasting material Avernus mused.

He did try to defend him, "Human experiments were a new field I never encountered before. The human body is just too complex compared to anything what I had learned and done in other places."

Daphne's look said loud and clear what she thought of that explanation. Mumbling something about 'primitive' and 'stupidity' several books and appeared on his desk which he found later very interesting and informative. Who would have thought to use rats on the first try on living things? Or these strange devices with those fine looking glasses? How interesting.

After the first ten day's had passed something happened so out of the blue that Avernus was very astonished. Early in the morning, around one hour after they had shared breakfast, the young woman entered his laboratory, stepped up to the table he was sitting at and apologized. At first Avernus only blinked without comprehension what she was apologizing for.

"What are you apologizing for my dear?" the old mage asked slightly confused.

For a moment Daphne regarded the mage with a strange look on her face "I apologize for my extreme reaction regarding your attack on my person eleven days ago. I'm not apologizing for defending myself but for escalating it so fast."

Avernus blinked at her and sighed. Somehow he felt rather bad about himself. Oh he knew that he was an immoral bastard. Having experimented on his fellow Wardens to understand the taint and get more power out of it to help further his order's goals did make him a bad person. The old mage resolutely ignored the tiny voice in the back of his head reminding him that four out of his former five comrades encouraged him to use them.

They had been painfully aware that they would either die because of starvation or being by being tortured to death the moment they would be captured by the Kings forces waiting outside. So they concluded why not let their main researcher use them to further the power and abilities of the Gray Wardens for later generations. But now, now he felt rather bad because the young woman apologized for something he had provoked. Who knew he would still be able for such simple human reactions?

Sighing he closed the book he was reading and placed it back on the table "I have to apologize as well yo … no … Daphne. As I was saying, I have to apologize as well Daphne. It seems for a moment I became rather overzealous in my attempt to control information that should have never been outside the order. For that I am sorry."

With that Avernus gave Daphne gracious bow and she herself a nod of acceptation.

Smiling slightly the young blond woman was about to turn and leave Avernus to his readings when he reached for a book and drew her attention "If I could have your attention for a moment, Daphne?

I have read all those books you gave me and find myself really fascinated. Many points in these books about experimentations show me better ideas how to proceed and some suggest procedures I would have never thought about. However, nearly everything in those books is useless because we don't have the acquired equipment or the knowledge required to conduct further experiments. I must confes this is something I'm not familiar with."

While explaining Avernus pointed on several chapters, pictures and explanations in several books to illustrate the problem. Avernus was aware of his strengths and weaknesses. And while he was an avid note taker and could plan an experiment with every step in between including possible deviations he was not someone who could design and construct the necessary equipment. Oh, he would be able to build something giving time and ideas, however it wasn't one of his strengths.

Daphne carefully went through the books and studied the described tools needed to continue Avernus experiments, or at least a new series of experiments. The blond had deliberately chosen those books, simply because everything needed was not to that technological advanced and could be created in a world on a level equal to the one she was in. Not to forget that they would need magic to run many of those devices.

Magic, Daphne could only shake her head. From what she and Harry could gather the magic system of this world hadn't notably changed in the last five hundred years. Magical research as a science didn't exist and only the art of potion making, called alchemy here, had somewhat evolved in the last centuries, and even that was minimal at best. Funny enough even the Tevinter Empire hadn't pioneered further advancements in the magical field and their form of magical experimentations hadn't changed since the creation of the Gray Wardens.

Yes, every now and then something appeared you could call an advancement but sooner or later those would disappear again. The reasons were varied but in the end were one of three. The advancement would either disappear again because something that was used for them was destroyed and had been irreplaceable, the knowledge was deliberately destroyed or it disappeared together with the death of its creator. It was ridiculous.

The only people who had something akin to science were the Qunari, and those horded any and all knowledge for themselves. It was more than ridiculous. It was like humanity collectively refused to advance themselves. That didn't mean there weren't schools dedicated to mathematics and the like, far from it. In the last years Orlais pumped huge amounts of gold into their schools of art and science, or what went for science in these lands. The thing was there was simple no one to challenge excepted theories and procedures.

The Chantry of course was partly at fault for condemning all those who tried to unravel 'the Maker's creation'. Opening all books at certain pages and placing them on the table in a way Daphne could see the pictures and descriptions for things that were needed she pulled out her wand and started to cast. After every wave, chant or incantation something new appeared in the room. Be it a simple table with chairs or distillery for potions, be it several workbenches with a huge amount of different tools or a huge device including a network of tubes and several glass and metal vessels.

While casting Daphne mused how certain people Harry and her have encountered in many of their lives would react to what she was doing. People like Professor McGonagall and Hermione Granger would probably reprimand her that conjurations would definitely not last and be a very bad idea to begin with for laboratory equipment. Meetra Surik, bless her soul, would probably be highly amused and Durnik together with Polgara would disapprove her frivolous use of Magic.

Daphne wondered what all those magic users in their birth reality would think if they knew all those rules they had postulated were not rules but exceptions? Magic as Harry and Daphne wielded was not something you could cage or describe with rules. Fact of the matter was that their magic, unlike the magic of the universe they currently inhabit, approached the domain of gods. Meaning as long you had the power, the intent and the imagination you could do everything with it.

Spells, rituals and rules only existed so the human mind could process what was chaotic in nature. Conjuration for example had been a year six skill in Hogwarts. A spell in that field would be the Gemini Charm, to duplicate nearly everything. The amount of power you pushed into a conjuration determined the time a conjured object would stay in existence and how frail it would be against a Finite Counter-Spell.

However, should the power you use for a conjuration exceed a certain point a conjured object would become real and more importantly stay that way. Interesting enough the amount of magic needed heavily increases with the rise of the atomic number of the conjured element. That was one of the reasons why even in their birth reality you could magic a water based liquid permanently into existence but nothing else, it was one of the five exceptions according to Gamps Laws.

Harry and Daphne herself however were magically at a level where they could permanently conjure something with little problem, not everything of course. Daphne herself had her limit at the moment with Indium, Harry hit the limit with Gold. That however didn't mean that Daphne and Harry were magical gods, far from it. It just meant that their magical reserves where very, very deep and their magic very, very potent. Interesting enough understanding chemistry and the structure of elements and atoms extremely helped.

In contrary what some might believe it didn't mean that now everything conjured in that room by Daphne's hand was one hundred percent pure glass, granite or wood. Magic being magic had a simple odd quirk. In the event of conjuration at a permanent level it either creates a pure structure, like a glass container without any imperfections or contaminations in its atomic structure, or it recreated something, an exact duplicate down to the sub atomic level, the caster had already seen somewhere. The only real downside behind permanent conjuration was the inability to conjure something with magical properties.

Now in this case she created exact duplicates of those items and equipment the books had shown and described. Coming down from her magically induced high, something Daphne always felt after using huge amounts of magic, she first conjured a non-permanent and simple seat to sit down. Amusing enough Daphne had totally forgotten how taxing it could be to conjure something permanently. She felt rather dizzy now.

Avernus himself look astonished. Like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. What kind of magic was that? Maybe Daphne would explain it to him? Well, definitely not now, she looked ready to collapse. It seemed it had taken huge chunks out of her.

"Well," Avernus clapped his hands together, feeling rather giddy, "let's do it, shall we?"

Over the next week Avernus and Daphne would completely overhaul Avernus labor. The cages were thrown out, the holes in the floor closed and the stone floor and walls got a proper cleaning. After that the new workbenches and everything else Daphne had provided would be given places where someone could comfortable work at and with them.

Interesting enough in the middle of the elevated platform where Avernus' former table resided Daphne placed to metal tables able to strap people to it. At Avernus questioning look the young woman shrugged her shoulders.

"Sooner or later we have and will experiment on human sized beings." She easily explained.

It was only after Daphne had summoned dozens of rats that Avernus conceded with embarrassment that he didn't have normal darkspawn blood and only seven vials of archdemon blood. And while that would be enough for the next one hundred and five years, each vial had two hundred and fifty milliliter, for normal recruitment Avernus hadn't wanted to use that up.

Daphne only sighed. Why did people always wait to give the important information at last?

"Wait a minute," she said and pinned the mage with a look, "didn't you say before you had everything here for a joining potion?"

"Why yes. However you don't necessarily need normal darkspawn blood. To only use archdemon blood you would even increase the possibility of surviving your joining, the downside is the use of exorbitant amounts of said blood in comparison to one drop of it in the traditionally potion" Avernus answered with a shrug.

Shaking her head Daphne summoned a certain bag from her storage and withdrew a single pebble from it. She simply threw the pebble to the side and with a wave of her hand turned it back into a hurlock corps. Avernus didn't even blink at that piece of magic, he came long to the conclusion that Daphne's magic was so alien that he shouldn't be shocked seeing what it was capable of.

"If you would let me my dear." the mage said and flexed his magic.

The hurlock's throat exploded in a red mist, which condense itself above the corpses into a small red ball. The red ball slowly grew as more and more blood left the corps and gathered itself into the ball. After Avernus had sucked the Hurlock dry he placed all the blood into a ten liter glass container hanging inside a rack next to one of the workbenches. Daphne simply vanished the remains of the Hurlock while Avernus closed the glass container with a plug and placed several spells on it to keep the content in stasis.

"Now, shall we begin?" Avernus asked and placed a small vial into a fitting beneath the glass container filled with blood where it was filled with blood moments later.

Over the next five days the both of them would feed twenty rats, four each day, one of Avernus' modified joining potions. After that they placed them in small cages, one each, to observe them. Wary of the taint Daphne had decided to add certain things to wear before the start of their experiments. In addition to her normal clothes now she wore dragon hide gloves up to her elbows, a face mask out of dragon hide and a dragon hide lab coat. Everything enchanted to hell and back with protection, health and sterilization runes.

While Daphne was constantly checking how the taint and the potion interacted and changed the rats bodies biology she gave Avernus more books about why and how it was a good thing to start with rats and not humans in their experiments. On the side Avernus had much fun with the magical microscope, introducing the taint to blood samples and studying the reactions, always on the lookout for something game changing.

It was at the start of day five when Avernus asked the question of how they would and could get more information about what happened insides the rats that had been introduced to the joining potion.

"See this?" Daphne had answered and pointed at a small crystal next to one of the cages, "These crystals magically observe any being placed on the runic field that covers the bottom of the cage. They record how the health and the body changes over time. Regrettably they only can memorize up to one hundred hours, after that the crystal is full, and are only one time uses but for our purpose that is enough."

Daphne removed all four crystals and cleared the cages with a spell, only one rat had survived until now, clearly tainted. Walking to one of the workbenches she placed one of the crystals into a fitting and tapped a rune. A moment after a bunch of information was displayed on the glass surface standing at the back of the table. All the while she patiently explained how to use the table, navigate the information given and the magic behind it. What was for Avernus astonishing was the fact he could use and replicate this with his form of runes and glyphs. Interesting enough he could read the information on three crystals at the same time, the table had the ability for that.

For the next two weeks both magic users would go through hundreds of rats, increasing the number used per day to twenty. It got so bad that Daphne had to leave the castle and the peak altogether to summon some rats from surrounding villages. Aside from that the only time when they left the labor was to sleep, eat or take a stroll outside to clear their heads. Avernus had the time of his life.

Consequently Daphne was asked by Avernus about her magic, what it could do and where it came from. From her studies in the Circle of Magi tower Daphne already knew that her kind of magic was impossible to completely recreate with the magic of this world. While her magic treated outside of the rules of reality the magic of this place had interestingly enough rules which bound it to this reality.

So Daphne didn't feel too bad when Avernus correctly guessed that her and Harry's magic was not of this world. She even indulged him and spun a tale about two magic capable humans, reincarnated with their memories intact into a strange world, a tale with just enough truth to satisfy a clearly mystified mage. Daphne at this point knew enough about Avernus that he wasn't one to talk needlessly about secrets, and promised that he would never do so.

But not leaving anything to chance without the input of her Harry the young blond placed some heavy compulsion charms on the mage which made it impossible for him to share that secret with anyone not in the know. Over the next two months, after continued adaptations to the joining potion, Daphne would introduce other species for testing. Mice, cats, some wolfs and even some stray Mabari.

"Are you sure you are ferelden?" Avernus asked with disbelieve after she came back with six Mabari.

Daphne had only shrugged. Of course the increase of success of the joining potion was not the only change they were looking for. Next to the door to Avernus room, Daphne had shuddered at the knowledge of him having a room next to his vile torture chamber, was a list with points to better the potion.

There were items on the list such as higher success rate, increase of time before biological collapse, no reduced fertility, increased strength, stamina and vitality and many more. Some points had already been accomplished, like the rise in strength and such after they had been successful in incorporating Avernus Experimental Draught. Others they still had a long way to go.

However there was one point Daphne was adamant about solving. It was the corruption and later destruction of the soul. That had been a discovery which had made her feel sick. Harry, in his representation as an Avatar of the Aspect of Death, had ones explained to her how he saw souls, how he perceived them. It was something simple and complex, unfathomable beautiful and innocent and something he was adamant about protecting. Souls were part of his domain and nobody had any right to twist, corrupt, use or destroy them.

It was like how Daphne herself saw life in general. The ability to give life, birth it and bring it into the world was so wonderful she couldn't even describe it. So it was while analyzing their experiments with the wolfs that Daphne saw something she didn't like. The taint somehow not only consumed and twisted them, it also twisted and consumed the primitive souls in those poor creatures. It didn't mean that their souls were forever lost, far from it.

It just meant that what defined them was destroyed and therefor lost. The soul is a curious construct with a core and an outer shell. The core is the anchor it is the bases for all live and allowed beings to develop themselves. In contrast the shell is which interacts with live, which binds a person to his or her body. The shell is not only huge but also keeps information about any life that soul had lived. An acknowledged old soul for example has a very complex soul shell, indicating many lives.

It also means that a person is somewhat influenced by his or her soul shell from her past lives, but not much. Daphne and Harry for example were old souls. And here lies the problem. A soul is only core without the shell when it was newly created, a very rare occasion these days, not so much at the beginning of all creation. The tragedy lies in the inability of the soul to recreate its shell and because the taint is consuming that shell …

Thinking back Daphne could remember one of their past lives where she and Harry stumbled upon a so called Sith Lord. A Sith Lord who had dabbled so deep in the dark side that he acquired the ability to utterly drain a person's soul shell to gain immortality. Harry had not been pleased, oh no he had been furious. The resulting conflict had been brutal when Harry went all Avatar of Death on the fool. In the end the fool had been locked away in a pocket dimension ruled by Slaanesh Daemonettes. His immortality would be put to good use for all eternity. Lord Death himself had just shrugged with his shoulders.

Daphne just hoped Harry wouldn't do something drastic. Maybe she was missing something here?

It was the end of Cloudreach and Daphne was looking down at several sheets of paper detailing all their work. Looking around the room what has once been Avernus bedroom. It had started with the question of where they would place all those books about the taint, their research notes and those books Daphne had loaned to the blood mage so he could extend his knowledge. They had needed a room which could be better controlled than the library in the castle itself or the Warden library inside this apart standing tower, some two levels beneath them.

So they came to the conclusion to move Avernus bedroom somewhere else and place all books and other information inside this makeshift library. They would have more time later on when they were finished and could bring some order into the castle. Looking around Daphne noted from her comfortable seat the four rows of book shelfs, the shelfs standing to the wall only leaving open some places for the windows in between the shelfs.

While she was sitting on a very comfortable seat going over the reports on a long table in the middle of the room a magical quill was dutifully copying book after book. She could of course have just use magic to make a copy permanent but hadn't felt like it.. While the quill method took way longer it also took way less magic. Looking back at the report Daphne could only sigh. After one thousand three hundred and twenty-six rats, five hundred sixty mice, one hundred cats, twenty wolfs, twelve mabari and fifty-two changes to the joining potion they were ready for human experiments.

Don't get here wrong, Daphne had no problem using other human beings or similar to test something intended for her husband, she just disliked to motivate herself to not ignore those morals she and her Harry still had. Well, whatever.

It was the morning of the 2nd of Bloomingtide when Avernus stepped into the antechamber of the labor and saw a most curious sight. Kneeling on the ground where by the looks of it eight humans and two elves, six male and four female, behind them stood Daphne with an almost bored look, all bound and a bag covering their heads. Avernus had wondered where she had disappeared too these last three days and from the looks of it she had been busy.

When she caught sight of him Daphne happily smiled, something that Avernus tended to treat with caution.

"Avernus, good to see you, let me introduce you to these fine ladies and gentlemen. From left to right we have," at that Daphne stepped behind the first, a male elf, and placed her hands on his shoulders "Bragan, loner and dalish elf using his time teaching shemlen males and boys the error of their ways by turning them into pincushions and raping the women and girls.

Next is this handsome fellow, Marcus, a serial killer with a taste for very young girls. Following him is this proud female, Yvonne. A whore who thinks it is a good idea to strangle her newborns with their very own umbilical cord, a weak ago she reached number seven."

And so it went. With every person introduced by name and all their wrongdoings Avernus learned things even he would never do. Every last one of them was a very twisted and sick individual. Avernus had an idea what Daphne was up to but was unsure how to approach it. After some thinking he decided to tentatively ask.

"Daphne, why did you bring these … people here?"

The smile and shine in her eyes was something he better ignored, for the sake of the rest of his sanity "Avernus! We have reached the limit of animal experiments. Now it is time to start with human experiments and these fine ladies and gentlemen have graciously decided to help us. Aren't they the nicest of people?"

Avernus answering smile and gleam in his eyes didn't necessarily speak of much sanity left, but who was complaining.

**=====||=(°.°)=||=====**

**AN:I'm still unsure about the explanation given to the so called Unforgivables. It may still change ...**

**Some reviewer: Yes that was the Archdemon. But even this way only a Warden can permanently kill it.**

**ww1990ww and others: Yes, Harry had been once upon a time the God Emperor. I just use allusions like that to expand on his character and Daphne's of course.**

**Kaioo: Wards is a fanon concept and not canon. the closest in canon would be jinxes, curses and charms declared in a similar manner I believe, like Anti-Apparation-Charm and Anti-Disapparation-Jinx. About the power scale, Harry's and Daphne's magic is simply much more diverse and more directed to small scale as I understand it, it can still do a shit ton of damage. DA magic in my mind is a 'only-full-throttle' type of magic which isn't as powerful or versatile as the other system.**

**darkpiro9: Yes, however I will expand on that problem later on. Maybe you will like my solution.**

**Vatsyayana69:Maybe he had been bored? Will be expanded on.**

**So, thanks to the reviewers: Inverse Psyche, Blackholelord, Guest(Hammer), Naruto-Uzu-Uchiha, Yami-Guy, darkpiro9, FateBurn, karthik9, .com, JMK2, ww1990ww, Kaioo, RoyalTwinFangs, exaigon, Burrk, nlaj1, Guest(jay123), Reven 6666, Dark Cerberus, Skelo, NotSoSlimSh4dy, He-With-Many-Hyphens, T-B-R, Seele Zeit, Colshan, Nargus, Otaku-ka-ren, doubledamn, Konda020946, , MrHm31, Dovahkiin1503, orion0905, Devils Joker, GhostSixTwo**


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